


Pour Some Sugar On Me

by wolfpackof1



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-11 09:37:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 31,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13521522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfpackof1/pseuds/wolfpackof1
Summary: When Finn, an up and coming lawyer, accepts an invite to a new club in town, he finds more than he bargained for.





	1. Finn

It was his third week on the job, and everything seemed to be going along just fine.

 

Finn had landed his dream career when he was hired at Solo and Associates. It was a large law firm that did a lot pro bono, helping underserved individuals in his county, and Finn was starting as a legal assistant. So far, he had taken notes at meetings and started bonding with a few of the younger lawyers around the water cooler.

 

When Friday afternoon rolled around, Finn started putting on his coat and gathering his backpack. His new friend (was it too soon to call him that?) Pete Greene stopped him.

 

“Hey, Finn. Any big plans for this weekend?”

 

Honestly, the answer was no. Finn was probably going to go home, order Thai takeout, and sit on the couch and watch a movie with his roommate Poe and his cat BB.

 

Pete didn’t wait for Finn to answer. “Some of the guys here, we go to this club on Friday nights. Here’s the address.” He slipped Finn a piece of a paper with a handwritten address on it. “Meet us there around nine?” Pete looked hopeful.

 

“Uh yeah, sounds chill,” Finn said. “See you there.”

 

At home, with Poe, Finn tried to pick out an outfit for the evening.

 

“Go classy,” Poe urged. “You can’t go wrong with a nice button down and a jacket.”

 

Finn agreed, and changed into the outfit, which was very similar to the one he had worn to work today. He was a little nervous, truth be told, but excited to hang out with his new coworkers.

 

He arrived at the club just a couple minutes after nine and was dismayed to see no one  he knew outside. In fact, there was no one in the parking lot at all. The building was a single story, on the outskirts of town, and with no signage whatsoever. Finn thought it must be a pretty hip, up and coming club to have no name and not be downtown. He decided, what the heck, and went inside.

 

RIght away a cheer went up as he walked through the door, and he saw Pete Greene hurrying over to him. But that wasn’t what caught Finn’s attention.

 

No, what caught his eye was the stripper pole in the center of the room, and the bikini clad girl who was sliding up and down it while a rapt audience cheered her on.

 

The music hit him like a wall, a pop beat he had heard on the radio a few times amplified to an almost painful volume. The girl on the pole was blond, spinning around dizzingly in a leopard print two-piece. Pete approached Finn, wearing a huge grin.

 

“Hey man, you made it! Dude, isn’t this place amazing?”

 

Finn was literally at a loss for words. He had never been to a strip club before, and had never wanted to. But this was how he could bond with his new co-workers. Finn felt torn. Finally, Pete made the decision for him.

 

“Come sit down,” Pete said to Finn. “Give it a try. If you hate it after a few songs, you can go, alright?”

 

Finn couldn’t argue with that, so he followed Pete to the large table that some of the associates of Solo and Associates had commandeered. Finn noticed right away that Han Solo, the firm’s founding partner, and most of the higher-level partners were not in attendance. He sat down and right away a waitress brought him a beer. Silently, he sat and listened to the (mostly raunchy) conversations that his coworkers were having, and tried not to watch the dancers on stage. He wasn’t sure why he kept his eyes averted, only that the whole place made him feel vaguely uncomfortable.

 

Just when Finn had decided he was going to get up and leave, a soothing guitar riff played over the speakers.

 

Immediately, Pete and the guys started whooping and hollering, and reluctantly Finn turned his attention to the stage.

 

Stepping out was hands down the most beautiful girl Finn had ever laid eyes on.

 

As the lyrics started, entirely in Spanish, Finn watched mesmerized as the girl lost first her short pleated skirt, revealing bikini bottoms, and then her button up blouse, revealing a simple black bra.

 

He had only had half of one beer, but Finn felt increasingly drunk. Then the girl stepped up to the pole.

 

The way she moved, spinning and spiraling, dark hair flying, was truly hypnotic. She had real talent - even Finn could see that - and her strength was incredibly impressive.

 

A tap on the shoulder shook Finn from his reverie. Pete was getting out of his seat, and he motioned Finn to do the same. Pete was wearing the same shit-eating grin he had on earlier, and Finn worried that his own face had betrayed his interest in this girl.

 

He followed Pete up to the area just below the stage, and watched as Pete and one other guy from the company whose name he didn’t know tossed a couple of dollar bills at the girl. They motioned to Finn to do the same.

 

Now he felt stuck. FInn didn’t want to just throw money at this girl - it seemed demeaning to him - but he didn’t want to cause a stir either. He also felt the need to pay this girl just for having the privilege to look at her. FInally, he reached into his wallet, pulled out two twenties, and reached up to hand them to the girl.

 

Her eyes met his, and he was shook. She gave him a little grin - genuine, and so different from the fake smile that had been plastered on her face since she took the stage - and gently took the bills from Finn’s hand.

 

Then she winked down at him.

 

Finn was fucking lost. The rest of the night was a blur - the guys teasing him about his reaction, Finn telling them he would see them Monday, getting into his car and driving home all in a daze. Thankfully Poe was asleep when he got there. Finn didn’t know how he could have explained this to him.

 

In his room, he stripped down and climbed in bed. Finn fell asleep dreaming of long dark hair and eyes that winked down at him


	2. Rey

At 2:30 am, Rey opened the back door to the club and stepped outside, breathing in the night air of the city. She turned and called “Good night” to the other girls and the promoter, then set off for her house.

 

It had been an interesting evening, to say the least. First there had been a fight, between two girls Rey didn’t know very well; then around eight pm the primary DJ had gone home sick. And then there had been  _ him _ .

 

Rey had never been treated like that while working. Usually customers just threw the money at her, or tried to tuck it into her g-string, which she hated. But this guy - he had just -  _ handed _ her the money like he was paying her for something. And $40 wasn’t bad, either. He had been sitting with the large group of businessmen that came every Friday evening and always acted  _ so  _ disrespectfully, but he hadn’t seemed like he really wanted to be there. And he wasn’t bad looking, either...Rey found herself blushing, cool air stinging her warm cheeks.

 

She wondered if he would be back.

 

The next day, Saturday was just like any other. Rey went to the supermarket and browsed, picking up canned soups and ingredients for salad and fruit juice. She came home and watched a documentary about wolves with her roommates Jess and Rose, then she got ready for work. Rose sat on Rey’s bed while Rey put on her makeup.

 

“So, have you met anyone nice?” Rose asked teasingly.

 

“No,” Rey answered shortly, but her reddening cheeks betrayed her.

 

“Oh my god! You have! Rey, spill  _ immediately _ !”

 

Rey sighed. “It’s nothing, Rose. Just a cute guy at the club last night, that’s all.”

 

Rose was not willing to let the subject drop. “Noooo, tell me everything! Who was he, what was he wearing, did he tip, everything!”

 

“Okay, calm down Rose. I don’t know his name but he came in with those businessmen who are always there Friday nights. And….he did tip.  _ Well _ .”

 

Rose emitted a flat out screech, and Jess came running into Rey’s small room too. “What’s going on?”

 

“Rey met a guy!” Rose exclaimed.

 

Jess’ eyes widened. “WHAT?! And you didn’t say anything to us about it?”

 

Rey was getting a little annoyed now. “Guys, it’s really nothing, I promise you. I haven’t hooked up with a customer yet, and I’m not about to, okay?”

 

That night, Rey did her entrance to her usual song ( _ Despacito _ , original version). She searched the crowd for the guy, but he was nowhere to be soon. Nevertheless, Rey kept smiling and performing for the gathered men.

 

_ Best just to forget about him, _ Rey thought.  _ Probably won’t be back, and anyway, he’s a  _ customer.

 

Sunday was her day off, and after a nice leisurely lie-in, Rey decided to go to the library. Sometimes, she just felt like she needed to get out of the house.

 

The library was full of elderly couples, students, and parents with little kids. Rey smiled at the reference desk librarian on her way by and headed straight for the gardening section.

 

She had never told her roommates, who were her closest friends even though they weren’t all that close, but Rey loved the idea of taking a seed and making it grow into something wonderful. The apartment didn’t have a yard, so she couldn’t plant anything there, and there wasn’t a community garden in their neighborhood. But Rey dreamed of one day having a tiny little house with a big vegetable garden out back.

 

For hours Rey sat in the library, until it started to get dark outside and the librarians were going around telling people they needed to start getting packed up.

 

As she was walking out the long hallway that was the entryway to the library, Rey saw him.

 

He was walking just a few people ahead of her, carrying a computer bag over his shoulder and wearing the same jacket he had on at the club. 

 

Her heart skipped a beat. Should she call out to him? Run up and tap his shoulder? Rey shook her head.

 

Realistically, there were too many people in between them for her to catch up, and also, she didn’t even know his name.

 

Still, Rey was shook. What was up with her? She had never had this reaction to someone, not ever.

 

The next few days were uneventful. Rey typically worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday as well as Friday and Saturday, and she was definitely looking forward to her Thursday off that week. When it finally came around, she did a little cooking then went for a long run through the city. At this point, the mysterious guy from the club was the farthest thing from her head.

 

So it came as quite the surprise when, while running through a neighborhood populated by stately, two and three story Victorian houses-turned-office-buildings, she saw him leaving the one with a “Solo and Associates” sign out front.

 

Rey stopped dead in her tracks.

 

He was humming, softly under his breath, but stopped when he saw her.

 

“Hi,” he said politely. “Do I know... _ you _ .” He stared at her, not at her tits or ass, like most guys did, but at her soul.

 

“Hi,” Rey said. Then she froze. What else should one say in this situation?

 

“My name’s Finn,” said the guy - Finn - and held out his hand for her to shake. 

 

Now she was really thrown. Finally, she answered with simply, “I’m Rey.”

 

They stared at each other for another minute before the door of Solo and Associates was flung open, and out walked another man she recognized from the club. This one she did not feel so friendly toward.

 

“Yo, Finn! My man - oh, I didn’t see you were busy. Heh heh.”

 

Rey was immediately repulsed. At least she was sure he didn’t recognize her from the club. Finn, meanwhile, was flustered.

 

“Hey, uh, I’ll see you later, okay?” he said to Rey, then walked off toward the parking lot.

 

What to make of this? He obviously was attracted to her - she could see that plain on his face. But there was something more, something beyond that. She wanted to find out what it was.

 

But after the way he left, Rey could only draw one conclusion. He was embarrassed by her.


	3. Finn

There was no other word for it - Finn was shook.

 

Since seeing her at the club last Friday, Finn had been able to think of little else but her. When he was at work, or at the library, even in the shower. His face grew hot just remembering it.

 

And now - she had been outside his  _ work _ \- real, in the flesh, wearing leggings and a t-shirt and looking like a whole tasty bruschetta. She had a name, too.

 

Rey.

 

It was perfect, he thought  _ She _ was perfect. And then -

 

Pete had to go and ruin the whole thing. With that sneer...Finn didn’t much care for the attitude. At least, he thought, Pete didn’t recognize Rey from the club. He hoped.

 

And then Finn had to go and run away, like the loser he was, with nothing more than her name. He didn’t know if he would ever even see her again.

 

Finn walked out to the back parking lot deep in thought.  _ Rey. _ He unlocked his car, put it in drive, and took himself home.

 

Poe noticed immediately that there was something up with Finn.

 

“Hey man, you okay?” Poe asked.

 

Finn nodded. “I’m good.”

 

Poe was not going to let it drop. “What’s up with you? I feel like we haven’t talked in a week? How was the club you went to with your cool business peeps?”

 

At this Finn flushed bright red. “Um, fine.”

 

Poe practically screeched. “Oh my god Finn you’ve met a girl!”

 

“I have not,” Finn said unconvincingly.

 

“Tell me everything,” said Poe, jumping down onto the couch and patting the seat next to himself vigorously.

 

So Finn did. “We went to this club,” he began.

 

“Was it hip? Swanky?”

 

“Not exactly. It was like...there were lots of girls dancing...on a pole…”

 

“FINN! You went to a strip club?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, I was about to leave and then,  _ she _ came on stage.”

 

Poe smiled. “ _ Her _ , huh?”

 

“She was so beautiful...her hair and her face and her…other stuff. Ahem. Anyway, then I saw her jogging near the office today. Her name is Rey. Isn’t that great?”

 

There was a pause, and then Poe said, “And? You got her number? You’re going out this weekend?”

 

“Ha. Well, no.”

 

Poe looked exasperated. “Damn, Finn, how are you ever going to see her again?”

 

Finn knew the chances were slim.

 

Which was how he found himself agreeing to Pete’s invitation to go back to the club again on Friday. After all, he reasoned, if she had been a barista he would have been at her coffee shop like every other day, right? So it only made sense that, since he knew where she worked, he pay a visit there.

 

This time, he got a ride to the club with another one of the junior employees, who lived in an apartment around the corner from Finn. His name was Alpert, and he was a quiet, nervous type of guy. Finn tried to engage him in conversation, with little luck.

 

“So, how long have you worked for Solo?” Finn asked.

 

“Um, seven months,” mumbled Alpert.

 

“And you guys go to this club every weekend, huh?”

 

“Um. Yeah.”

 

Finn sighed quietly. He would not find out any insider secrets of either Solo and Associates or the club from this guy, that was becoming rapidly apparent.

 

They pulled up outside the club just after nine, and went in and sat with the rest of their coworkers. Finn hoped against hope that Rey hadn’t been on yet.

 

For the next two hours he sat and watched disinterestedly as girls danced and spun and took their clothes off. He watched his coworkers yell and holler and toss dollar bills in what seemed to Finn to be a most undignified way.

 

And then, Rey came out. The strains of guitar music and ocean waves came over the speakers, and Rey stepped out of the shadows onto the stage wearing a black button down shirt and a short black pleated skirt.

 

She looked like a freaking goddess.

 

Finn stood, ready to give her another $40 for the pleasure of watching her dance, and then Pete stood up too.

 

Pete strode up to the promoter and stuffed a couple of hundreds in his hand. He said something in the promoter’s ear, then pointed to the stage. The promoter nodded. Then Pete turned back to Finn and gave him the most diabolical grin he’d ever seen.

 

Finn’s stomach turned. He didn’t know what this meant, only that it was something bad. Something very bad.

 

Rey’s song ended and she came down off the stage. The promoter went over and said something to her, then pointed at Pete. Rey looked over at Pete, her face betraying no emotions. Then her eyes slid over to Finn.

 

Rey and Finn exchanged a look, so brief that he wasn’t sure it really happened. Then it was over, and Rey was crossing the room towards him.

 

His heart skipped a beat, but before she reached him, she stopped. 

 

At Pete.

 

Finn’s heart sank. Now he understood what Pete had been doing talking to the promoter.

 

And he was powerless to stop it.

 

Finn watched helplessly as the music started, and Rey descended on Pete. She moved her body hypnotically, teasing Pete with her curves. She slapped away his hands when he tried to grab her.  _ That’s my girl, _ Finn thought. Then he wondered where that thought came from. He may have known her name, but that in no way made her his.

 

Rey was still going, sticking her breasts in Pete’s face and her ass in his lap. Pete turned to Finn and noticed him staring, and shot him a look like,  _ what are you going to do about it? _

 

The answer was nothing. Finn could do nothing about it. He got up and walked towards the door, deciding to wait for the night to end in the cool solitude of the parking lot. He headed out the front and walked around the side of the building, where there was a streetlight and a bench, and plopped down. He pulled out his phone and started to scroll through Twitter when a side door to the building that he hadn’t noticed opened up and out came Rey.


	4. Rey

It was about 11:30 pm, and Rey was ready for her break.

 

Friday night was not going her way. First she was late for her shift, and subsequently got yelled at by the manager. Then she had to dance on that sleazeball, who just couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself. She got to see Finn again, but she was so busy with other customers there was no chance to talk to him.

 

Oh Finn. She had never met anyone who looked at her the way he did - like she was some kind of space princess or something. There was just an energy about him that made her want to get to know him better - much better.

 

Tonight looked like it wouldn’t be the night for that, though she thought as she went into the locker room and took off her heels for her break. Rey sighed as she pushed open the back door and strode out into the dark parking lot towards the bench she always sat on during her breaks.

 

Someone was already sitting there. And that someone was Finn.

 

Rey’s heart skipped a beat as she walked over and sat down next to him. He was scrolling through his phone but when she sat he turned and looked at her. His eyes bulged out of his head. “I - Rey.”

 

She smiled. He was so god damn sweet. “Hi Finn. It’s good to see you.”

 

“How’s your night going?”

 

“Well….it just got a whole lot better.” Rey grinned at him shyly, hoping he caught her meaning.

 

Finn gulped. “So um, do you like working here?”

 

Rey thought about it. “You know, it’s mostly like any other job. I like most of my coworkers, and my manager...can be difficult at times. The pay is pretty good and the customers are usually okay. So yeah, I’d say I like it mostly.”

 

Finn nodded. “I understand what you mean.”

 

“Do you work at that place I saw you at? What was it, anyway?”

 

“Yeah, I do work there,” Finn said. “It’s called Solo and Associates, it’s a law firm. I’m a legal assistant.”

 

“Wow, are you really? That’s so cool, you must really enjoy it.”

 

Finn smiled. “I do enjoy it. The work is challenging in a good way, and I also like my coworkers. Well, most of them anyway…” He trailed off, looking over at Rey, and they both laughed.

 

Rey looked at her phone and frowned. “Shit. My break’s over.”

 

“Can I - can I come see you again sometime?”

 

Rey bit her lip and nodded, smiling. “Come on a Tuesday. Way less busy.” She winked at Finn, then got up and went back in through the side door of the club.

 

The rest of the night seemed to go by in a blur for Rey. She wasn’t asked to do anymore lap dances, which was good because that was when customers got a little too handsy, but bad because they were the best money to be made on the job.

 

Finally it was 2:00 am and the last customers had been asked to leave. Rey helped with some of the cleaning and counted her tips ($150), then headed out for the night.

 

At home, Jess and Rose were just getting back from a night at the bars. Rey listened to them recount their stories of the evening wistfully. She sometimes wished she had a daytime job, or one that didn’t require work on Friday and Saturday nights. But she did like working at the club, and she was pretty good at it - the only other thing she was okay at was waitressing, and that would also require working the weekend nights.

 

She sighed heavily, and Rose stopped mid-sentence. “What’s on your mind, Rey?”

 

Jess smirked. “I bet it’s her guy.”

 

“Stop! He’s not my guy.”

 

“Oh, but you knew exactly who I was talking about, didn’t you?” Jess laughed.

 

Rey’s face went red - she was busted. “He was there tonight.”

 

“Ah! Tell us all about it!” exclaimed Jess.

 

“Well, okay,” Rey said reluctantly. For some reason she didn’t feel like sharing the details of Finn and how she felt about him. “His name’s Finn.”

 

“Um, and? He’s taking you out Sunday? You’re planning a June wedding? We need some details girl!” Rose was getting into it now too.

 

Rey bit her lip. “I don’t know too much else about him. He works downtown, and he comes in with his business partners.”

 

“He has business partners? OMG Rey you have to get on that!” Jess squealed.

 

“Yeah, haha I guess so. Anyway I’m really tired so I think I’m going to bed. See you guys tomorrow.” Rey ducked out of the conversation and into her room, where she quickly changed into sweats and a tank top and climbed under her favorite blanket.

 

Tuesday seemed incredibly far away. She wondered if Finn would actually come, without his business partners.

 

She hoped so.

 

The rest of her weekend was pretty uneventful. Rey raked in the tips on Saturday night, which was one of the club’s busiest ever, and subsequently slept through most of Sunday. She went running late in the afternoon, then came home and made a smoothie. The weather wasn’t too bad - Spring was definitely on its way.

 

On Tuesday she awoke with a funny feeling in her stomach, and it took a minute for Rey to recognize it as nerves. Could she really be nervous? She hardly knew this guy - how could she be feeling like this about him? Her day was so slow, it felt like it went on forever.

 

Around 6:30 pm she left for work, unsure of what - or who - she would find there. Realistically, she thought, it was too early for Finn to show up anyway.

 

She was still disappointed when he wasn’t there. In fact, she had just about given up on Finn coming at all when around 9 pm he came through the door, looking tentative and just as nervous as she was feeling earlier.

  
Rey wasn’t feeling nervous anymore, though. She was ready to do what she did best - dance.


	5. Finn

Finn walked into the club nervously this time, without the benefit of meeting his coworkers to back him up.

 

And then he saw Rey, and he knew everything would be okay.

 

She was on stage - earlier than usual - and dressed in her customary black cropped blouse, black pleated skirt and six inch black heels. She noticed him right away, making eye contact as soon as he walked through the door and throwing him a cheeky grin.

 

Finn took a seat at an empty table near the stage. Rey twirled up and down the pole, losing first her top and then her skirt, much to the delight of the few other patrons. Finn reached into his wallet and pulled out a few twenties, and started making his way up to the stage. 

 

He was just about there when her song ended and Rey gave the crowd one last saucy look, then disappeared back into the shadows.

 

The thought then hit him that last time they talked, it had been on the bench outside. He picked up his coat (a leather bomber jacket, borrowed so long ago it could hardly be called Poe’s anymore) and went out around the side of the building to wait.

 

Finn was there almost an hour before Rey finally exited through the club’s side door. As she sat down, he held out the twenties to her.

 

“These are for you,” he said.

 

She looked puzzled. “Why?”

 

“I didn’t get a chance to give them to you while you were up there. You were amazing, though. As always.”

 

“I can’t take your money Finn.”

 

Now it was Finn’s turn to be confused. “Why not? Lots of other guys gave you money tonight.”

 

Rey bit her lip. “Yeah, but I’m not….interested in other guys.”

 

It took a moment for her words to sink in. “What does that - oh.”

 

She smiled shyly, and it was the cutest damn thing he’d ever seen. “I like you, Finn. I want to get to know you better.”

 

“I want to get to know you better too,” he said quickly. “I just never thought a girl like you would be interested in me.”   
  


“What do you mean ‘a girl like me?’ A stripper?”

 

“No,” Finn replied earnestly. “An angel.”

 

“That’s a line if I ever heard one,” Rey said, but she was fighting to keep a giant smile off her face.

 

“I mean it Rey. I want to treat you better than anyone ever has. Will you give me a chance?”

 

In response she leaned in and pressed a gentle, feather-light kiss to his lips. Her hands were on his shoulders and she smelled like sweat and vanilla, and there was a faint sheen of glitter on her skin. His eyes fluttered shut.

 

Too soon it was over, and she was pulling back wearing that shy grin again. “I hope that was okay.”

 

“More than okay. I mean - it was amazing. You’re amazing. I mean - would you like to hang out sometime?”

 

Her face broke into a full out beaming smile. “Yes.”

 

“Okay, um, when are you free, cause I can do any night but I know you work at night so maybe on a weekend day…”

 

“I’m free Thursday,” she said simply. “Want to get coffee?”

 

“Yes! I mean, um, yeah that sounds dope. Meet at Cafe Verde around six?”

 

“I’ll be there,” Rey grinned. “I have to go now. See you soon.”

 

“Have a good night!” he called after her.

 

From there he went straight to his car and drove him, all the while floating on cloud nine.

 

She, Rey, was actually going out with him, Finn, this Thursday. On, like, a real actual date.

 

He was still thinking about her with a goofy grin on his face when he unlocked the door to the apartment and found Poe in the kitchen.

 

“Oh hey Finn, what’re you doing out so la- Finn? Why do you smell like vanilla? And is that glitter on my coat?” Poe could be so nosy sometimes. But nothing could kill Finn’s vibe tonight.

 

“Yep, it’s glitter, good night Poe!” He turned and strode off toward his bedroom.

 

“Finn! Get back here! What is the meaning of thi-” Finn shut his door to block out the yelling.

 

He laid down on his bed and stared up at the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.

 

Thursday couldn’t come soon enough.

 

The next day at work, Finn was hella distracted. He made several mistakes before lunch, when he sat down in the breakroom to eat his sandwich. A couple minutes later, Pete came in and joined him at the table.

 

“So Finn, how’s your girl?” Pete asked with an innocent sounding tone.

 

“What are you talking about? I don’t have a girl,” Finn said, already uneasy with the direction of the conversation.

 

“From the club? Kira, the dancer? You seemed pretty friendly with her.” Pete raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner that Finn just did not care for.

 

“Kira….” He thought for a second then realized Rey must use a stage name so creeps couldn’t find her. Then he realized that meant she didn’t think of him as just another customer, and he got happy all over again. It must have shown on his face however.

 

“I knew you knew who I meant. Now give me those dirty details. You nailing her?”

 

Finn’s eyes widened a little at Pete’s forwardness. “Actually, it isn’t any of your business.”

 

“Isn’t it? I was the one who brought you to the club for the first time. I practically introduced you two….Hey, she must be really freaky, huh? Damn, Finn I didn’t think you had it in you.”

 

“Stop!” Finn had enough. “Don’t ever talk about her, - or me - again.”

 

Pete’s eyes narrowed. “Oh no? You better be nice to me Finn. I own you now. You owe me big time for introducing you to Kira, and I intend to make sure you pay up. You feel me?”

 

Finn simply got up and left, but inside he was stewing. Should he tell someone about the comments Pete had made? Should he warn Rey? He pulled out his phone to text her, then realized something.

 

He had never actually gotten her number.


	6. Rey

Thursday couldn't come soon enough.

 

Rey felt like she couldn’t stop smiling. What had gotten into her? Never in her life had she been so head over heels for anyone before. She went about her Wednesday wearing a goofy grin and her customary sweats.

 

“Rey! What is with you?” Jess asked as Rey hummed while doing the dishes.

 

Rey shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said nonchalantly.

 

“Not a good enough answer. You talked to him didn’t you!” Jess had her hands on her hips. Rey relented.

 

“We’re going out tomorrow. Jess, I can’t wait!”

 

“I’ve never seen you like this over a guy before. He must be something really special. Have you guys been texting a ton?” 

 

Rey facepalmed. “Shit! I didn’t get his number!”

 

Wednesday night was typically almost as slow as Tuesdays at the club, and this one was no exception. Rey barely made $50 in tips and the crowd was seemingly unimpressed by all her moves. She chatted a little backstage with her friends, then it was time for her to go home. 

 

She walked out to the parking lot alone, and was surprised to see someone standing by her car.

 

“Sorry, if I could just get past you- oh.” It was that guy, the one who worked with Finn.

 

He didn’t move away from her car, and Rey’s heart started to thump. “Kira,” he sneered, and she was momentarily glad he only knew her stage name and not her real name. “You’ve got a lot of nerve sniffing around someone out of your class.”

 

Rey was taken aback, and shocked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Yes you do.You little slut. You will stay away from him, if you know what’s good for you.”

 

And then he was striding away, around her car and disappearing into the shadows.

 

Emotionlessly, Rey got into her car and drove home. She took off her makeup, changed into her sweats, and got into bed.

 

Finally, under her favorite blanket, safe and sound, she allowed herself to cry until she fell asleep.

 

In the morning, with sunlight streaming through her insubstantial curtains, Rey felt a little better. She got up and made a pepper and onion omelet, and wished she could text Finn. Then she brightened up a little.

 

Finn. It was finally Thursday, and Rey was sooo excited for date night at the coffee shop. It was a date, right? She wasn’t sure.

 

She hoped so.

 

By four or so she was getting restless, and a little anxious. She spent the next hour and a half picking out an outfit (reddish orange tshirt dress, brown purse, flats) and styled her hair in a unique three bun hairstyle she had done a couple times. She did a little light makeup and sprayed some perfume and finally it was time to go.

 

Cafe Verde wasn’t too far away, and the weather was warm enough, so Rey headed out on foot. She walked quickly, nervous and excited.

 

Finn was already inside, she could see him through the window of the cafe, and she tapped on the glass, making him jump. She giggled a little and waved, and he waved back and got up to meet her.

 

“Hey!” Rey smiled as Finn came to the door of the cafe. She paused - should she hug him? Friendly kiss on the cheek greeting? Shake his hand? Before she could decide, the moment had passed. Finn was turning around and heading back to sit down at the table he’d gotten for the two of them.

 

They sat at the tiny table, facing each other. It was quiet for a minute and Rey didn’t know where to look. Finally she made eye contact with Finn, and they both laughed nervously.

 

“How’s-”

 

“What-”

 

They laughed again, more relaxed. “You go first,” said Finn.

 

“Ok, uh, what have you been up to since I last saw you?” Rey asked. Nervously, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

Finn looked like he was watching her closely. Rey wondered why. “I have mostly been working. I stayed late yesterday to finish a project.”

 

“What kind of project?”

 

“It’s a community action suit” he answered. “They’re considering legal recourse against the state.”

 

“That sounds really cool!” said Rey. 

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Finn shrugged and smiled. “So, uh, what about you?”

 

“Mostly the same,” Rey answered. “Well, not the legal part obviously. But I’ve been working.” Suddenly she remembered the incident at her car the night before, and wondered if she should say something to Finn about it.

 

“Do you, uh, want to get a drink?” Finn asked, and Rey decided to let the matter drop, at least for the time being.

 

She nodded her assent and they got up and made their way to the counter.

 

“You first,” Finn said.

 

“Okay. Let’s see….I’ll have a caramel mocha, please.” Rey got out her wallet to pay, but Finn gently pushed her arm down.

 

“I’ve got it,” he told her. 

 

“Oh! Thank you,” said Rey.

 

Finn ordered a hot chocolate and paid for both their drinks, and they both went back to sit down.

 

“Rey, I think there’s something we need to talk about,” he said, looking worried.

 

She bit her lip. “What’s up?”

 

“God, you’re cute. Okay, I don’t really know how to say this, but my coworker Pete kind of threatened me the other day. Well, both of us really, and I-”

 

“I think I know who - and what - you’re talking about,” Rey interrupted. “The guy that was there when I saw you at work, right?”

 

“Yes, but Rey-”

 

“No wait, let me finish. He came to my work and waited by my car and I-”

 

“He did not.” Finn was deadly serious.

 

“He told me I had to stay away from you. Finn, to be honest, I’m a little scared.” Rey was earnest, glad to get the altercation off her chest.

 

“No, baby, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m going to take care of it, okay?” He said soothingly. Rey was still nervous, but she couldn’t help a small smile creeping across her face. Baby? She kind of liked the sound of that.


	7. Finn

_Baby_. He couldn’t believe himself. She hardly knew him - though he felt like they had been meant to meet - but it was really too soon to call her that.

 

Finn looked back up at Rey. She didn’t look mad at all; actually, she was smiling a little bit. _Oh my lord she is gorgeous_.

 

“Sorry, that was really forward of me,” he told her. “I got a little carried away.”

 

“Finn, it’s fine. More than fine. Don’t worry about, okay?” Rey said.

 

“Okay,” Finn smiled. “So, more seriously, I’m trying to think of what I can do about Pete.”

 

“What _we_ can do,” Rey corrected. “I’m not letting you face him alone.”

 

A warmth spread through Finn’s chest at her words.

 

“Alright. What we can do. I wanted to report him to my boss or the police, but it’s not really an office matter and he hasn’t done anything truly illegal.”

 

“I don’t think that would help. Guys like that are sneaky - it’ll just make it worse to tell on him,” said Rey.

 

“Yeah. You’re probably right,” admitted Finn dejectedly. “Damn.”

 

Rey looked thoughtful. “Well, the first thing we should do is put up a united front. We can’t give him any fuel for his harassment.”

 

Finn nodded and sipped his hot chocolate. “Okay.”

 

“And we should probably have each other’s number, so we can stay in contact more easily,” Rey said breezily. Inside Finn’s heart did a little flip. “Here, I’ll text you. What’s the number?”

 

Finn told her. She tapped out a text, and a second later he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. “Should I check it now?” he asked.

 

“Wait til later,” said Rey, and she gave him a wink like she had at the club. Finn nearly swooned on the spot.

 

They talked a little longer - Rey told him about her roommates, and Finn talked about Poe and BB and all the antics they got up to at home.

 

Finally, there was a pause in the conversation, and they both noticed at the same time that their drinks had been empty for some time now. The barista was wiping down tables and giving them pointed looks.

 

“I guess we should probably get going,” said Finn. He noticed that she had walked here - and didn’t bring a sweater either. The sun had gone down and it was getting cooler out.

 

“I guess we should,” Rey agreed. She started gathering up her purse. _Confidence_ , Finn told himself.

 

He cleared his throat. “Can I, uh, give you a ride home?”

 

Her smile grew. “Definitely.”

 

Outside, he noticed Rey shivering a little. He quickly shrugged off his (well, Poe’s) leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

 

“Oh, thank you,” said Rey. “You didn’t have to do that.”

 

“I wanted to,” said Finn.

 

They left the cafe and walked the one block to where Finn had parked his Honda Civic. They got in and he started the car. _Despacito_ was playing on the radio. Finn went to change it. “You’re probably sick of that song-”

 

“It’s okay,” said Rey. She reached out her hand to still his, and their fingers touched. He could feel her skin, soft and warm, and the energy that ran through their connection.

 

 _God, if touching her hand is that amazing, imagine touching-_ Finn quickly turned off that train of thought, at least while she was still in the car with him.

 

“Why _Despacito_?” he wondered out loud. “Did you get to pick the song?”

 

“I did,” said Rey. “I just like that song. The guitar reminds me of being on the beach in the Dominican, and dancing the whole night away.”

 

“That sounds amazing,” Finn said. “When were you there?”

 

“When I was sixteen,” Rey answered. “And it’s where I was born. I came to the US as a baby, and I was adopted by my parents. I never knew my birth parents, though I looked for them when I was down there.”

 

“Do your parents live here in the city?”

 

She looked away. “No. They passed away when I was seventeen.”

 

“Rey, I- I’m so sorry.” Finn hoped she could hear that he genuinely was.

 

She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

 

It was quiet for a moment, and then-

 

“Turn right here,” said Rey. “This is my street.”

 

Finn hadn’t even really noticed where they were going - he was just sort of driving on autopilot. At least he had gone in the right direction.

 

She gestured to an open parking spot and Finn parallel parked the Honda. They walked slowly, side by side on the sidewalk until Rey stopped him.

 

“This is me,” she said.

 

Finn looked up at the building, a slim two story brownstone. Peeking out of the downstairs window he saw two faces, who quickly ducked down.

 

Rey sighed. “That’s Rose and Jess. They can be so nosy.”

 

They looked at each other, then away quickly.

 

“So-”

 

“Um-”

 

This time they both laughed. Finn loved the way her eyes looked when she smiled - like they contained whole worlds.

 

“I better get inside,” said Rey. “Thanks for driving me home. I had a really nice time tonight.”

 

“I did too,” he said. “Rey-”

 

But she was already bounding up the six steps to the front door. When she reached it she turned around and called to him, “Text me!”

 

Then she was inside and Finn was alone on the sidewalk.

 

He got back in his car and drove across town to his house. Poe was engrossed in some movie, and didn't say more than “Hey” as Finn passed by.

 

Finn went straight to his room. He unbuttoned his shirt and flopped down on the bed. Finally he pulled out his phone and checked the text that Rey had sent earlier.

 

 _Good night baby_ ;)

 

Omg. Should he text back? What should he say? She did ask him to text her. And sent this message….she had to be kind of a little bit into him right?

 

He decided on a simple response.

 

_Good night Rey_

 

Was that the right move? Too late. Finn hit send and hoped for the best.


	8. Rey

Rose and Jess were hollering by the time Rey came through the front door.

 

“Where did he take you?”

 

“What did you talk about?”

 

“Are you going out again?”

 

“Tell us everything!”

 

Rey rehashed the story of her and Finn’s date (it was a date, right? She hoped so), leaving out the part when they talked about Finn’s creepy coworker. The girls cheered and asked questions in all the right places, and when she told them that he called her “baby,” Jess flat out gasped.

 

“Rey! He did not! This dude is serious about you!”

 

“Well, I don’t see how he can be,” Rey said. “He doesn’t even know me that well.”

 

Rose cut in. “Rey, any guy who meets you is crazy about you. And they should be. You know you’re amazing right?”

 

Rey smiled a little. “Thanks guys.”

 

“But Rey, I do have one more question,” said Rose. “You said you would never date a customer. What gives?”

 

Rey thought about this for a few moments before answering. “I don’t really think he’s a normal customer,” she said. “Like, he never gave money to any of the other girls, and he spent most of his time at the club sitting on the bench outside.”

 

“If he’s not a customer, then what is he?” asked Jess.

 

“I - a friend,” Rey said finally. “I’m going to bed.” And with that she left Rose and Jess in the kitchen to ponder what Rey had meant.

 

The next day was Friday. Rey slept in til noon then went running and took a shower. As she sat down to start putting on her makeup for the night, she realized she hadn’t heard from Finn all day. Should she text him? What if he regretted last night? What if he didn’t see it as a date? What if (she gulped) he didn’t feel the same way?

 

And what was that way, exactly? Rey had thought about Finn a lot, but hadn’t yet taken much time to unpack her feelings for him. The quick beat of her heart as she considered this, and the way she was obsessing, however, gave her the answer.

 

She wondered if he would be there tonight with his coworkers.

 

Friday seemed to take _forever_ , and by the time her shift started, Rey was thoroughly worked up about Finn. Would he be there?

 

Nine pm came and went, and no sign of FInn or his coworkers. Finally about eleven the door opened again.

 

It was Pete, and he was alone.

 

He sauntered up to the stage, where Rey was near the back waiting to go on again.

 

 _Shit_.

 

Now more than ever, she wished Finn had come tonight. Rey told herself she wouldn’t go outside for her break, and she wouldn’t walk to her car by herself. Anything so that Pete couldn’t catch her alone.

 

 _Despacito_ came on and Rey stepped up to the main stage. She did her usual dance but her mind was elsewhere. Right when her dance ended, she saw Pete cross the room to the club promoter.

 

Rey’s heart sank. She watched helplessly as Pete pointed at her, gave the promoter some money, and made a lewd gesture she wished she could unsee.

 

Down on the floor, the club promoter told Rey what she already knew - Pete had requested a personal dance from her. She went over to where he had sat down and bit her lip hesitantly as he looked her up and down.

 

“Slut,” he sneered. “Start dancing.”

 

Instead of sitting down on his lap, Rey asked,”Why are you doing this?”

 

Pete’s eyes narrowed. “Because I can,” he said. “Because you’re hot and my wife isn’t giving me any.” He paused. “Because I know it bothers you.”

 

Rey shivered. He was truly the worst kind of person.

 

“Sit on my lap, slut,” Pete ordered.

 

She sat gingerly but could still feel him hard in his pants. He was really getting off from intimidating her.

 

Thankfully he didn’t touch her too much. _Probably didn’t want to get his hands dirty,_ Rey thought darkly. The song finished and she got up and went straight back to the locker room.

 

Her manager was in the back office doing some paperwork. Rey marched up to his desk.

 

“I’m going home early,” she said. “Right now. I don’t feel well.”

 

The manager nodded. “Fine. Whatever.”

 

Rey slipped out the side door of the club and walked quickly over to her car. Pete was nowhere in sight which meant her plan had worked - she knew he wouldn’t be expecting her to leave this early so he couldn’t confront her in the parking lot.

 

She drove herself home and went straight inside to her room. Jess and Rose weren’t around - they were probably still out partying. Rey locked the door and pulled out her phone.

 

11:34pm

_Hey finn, are you up?_

 

She laid back on her bed and waited for a response for what felt like hours until she finally fell asleep, tears running down her face.

 

The morning was no better. Rose and Jess were hungover and whining, there was nothing for breakfast, it was raining and Rey couldn’t go for her run.

 

And, worst of all, Finn still hadn’t texted her.

 

She sat for a few hours watching tv in the common area, not really paying attention. After a while she went back to her room and took a nap.

 

Six oclock rolled around and Rey started getting ready for her shift. She used to love dancing, and performing on stage, but right now her heart wasn’t really in it.

 

The night went by without any sign of Pete, and Rey breathed a little bit easier. On her break she pulled out her phone to see if Finn had texted her.

 

He had.

 

Rey’s heart skipped a beat as she opened the messages.

 

10:35pm

_Rrrrey wgere are u_

_I miss u_

_Ssorry me n poe ar drink_

_drunk* lol sorryyy_

_Babe_

_I miss u_

 

He had drunk texted her. She had waited 24 hours with no response from him and then when he finally texted her he was super drunk.

 

Rey decided not to respond for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	9. Finn

Across town, Finn’s night was unfolding a little differently.

 

Finn had moped around all day when he didn’t get a text from Rey. Was the ball in her court? Should he text her? What if she didn’t want him to? Was their date a  _ date _ ?

 

These were the questions that bothered Finn for hours until finally Poe stepped in.

 

“Man, you’ve been annoying about this all day. Are you going to text her or not?”

 

“I don’t know, I’m too nervous to. I guess I need some courage.”

 

Poe grinned. “That’s where I come in.”

 

Half a bottle of tequila and four hours later, Finn picked up his phone.

 

“Are you texting her?” Poe slurred.

 

“Yeah,” said Finn. It was hard for him to type out what he wanted to say though, and he wasn’t really sure if his message got across.

 

“We need some music,” declared Poe. “I know…” He played on his phone a minute, and then-

 

“ _ She got the body of a goddess…” _

 

Finn looked over at Poe and glared. “Seriously? Are you seriously playing  _ In Love With a Stripper _ right now?”

 

Poe just laughed and poured him another shot. “Well you are, aren’t you?”

 

Was he in love? Finn was too drunk to even attempt to answer this question. “Whatever man. I’m going to bed.”

 

In his room, Finn thought about texting Rey again. Should he? Eventually he decided against it. He had just texted her, right? So it was her turn to text him back.

 

Satisfied with this resolution, he climbed into bed and fell asleep.

 

In the morning Finn felt...truly awful. His head was pounding and the sunlight coming through his window was unnecessarily bright.

 

_ At least I’m probably feeling better than Poe right now, _ Finn thought.  _ He drank way more than I did. Besides, we were at home the whole night, so at least I know I didn’t do anything stupid...Oh no. _

 

Finn reached for his phone apprehensively. Hopefully, he hadn’t texted Rey last night.

 

He had.

 

As he read through the messages Finn felt an enormous amount of cringe and also regret. He emphatically hoped she wasn’t too mad at him.

 

Sometime in the middle of all this deliberating and stress BB-8 wandered into Finn’s room. She jumped onto his bed and pushed her face against his.

 

“You need to be fed, don’t you little lady,” Finn said to the cat. “I bet Poe isn’t awake yet.”

 

Finn went to the kitchen and pulled out BB-8’s food. He poured some into her dish and changed her water. When she was all taken care of, Finn had decided what he was going to do about the Rey situation.

 

He was going to go to her house.

 

It was about eleven am on a Sunday, so Finn figured she must be home. He took a shower and shaved and put on one of his nicer skinny pants, and a fleece sweater when he remembered that Rey still had his (ahem, Poe’s) jacket.

 

Finding where she lived turned out to be trickier than he expected, since he hadn’t been paying attention to the way they were going when he had driven her home after their date. Finally he remembered the street name and put it into his GPS.

 

As he turned onto her street and parked, Finn began to get nervous. What if she didn’t want to see him? Then he noticed someone selling flowers on the corner. He walked over and bought one, then returned to Rey’s doorstep.

 

He breathed in deeply, then knocked on the door.

 

After a minute it opened.

 

It was not Rey.

 

“Uh, hi,” Finn said. “Is Rey here?”

 

“Yeah,” said the girl who had answered the door. She turned around. “Rey, someone’s here for you!” She shouted down the hall.

 

Rey’s voice came back faintly. “Who is it?”

 

The girl looked Finn up and down, winked at him, then turned around again. “I think it’s Grubhub,” she called to Rey.

 

“I didn’t order any - thing,” Rey came down the hall and trailed off when she saw Finn.

 

Rey looked beautiful, just in sweatpants and a tank top with her feet bare, but she wasn’t radiant like he remembered. Actually, she looked...sad?

 

Had he upset her that much with his texts last night?

 

She looked him over, narrowed her eyes, and said, “You are not Grubhub.”

 

“No I’m not. But listen to me, Rey, please, I didn’t-”

 

“I’m not mad at you,” Rey said.

 

Finn stopped midsentence. “Then what-”

 

“I’m just a little...confused. And disappointed.” Rey crossed her arms.

 

“Because I drunk texted you, I know. I’m sorry.”

 

Rey shook her head. “That’s not why. Well, mostly not.”

 

Now Finn was confused. “What did I do?”

 

“It’s more like what you didn’t do,” Rey said, gaining a little fire in her voice. “I thought we had something Finn. I thought you were different. But when I message you Friday night - when I really needed you - I didn’t hear anything back until the next night. And then, yeah, you drunk texted me.”

 

“Wait, what do you mean you messaged me Friday night?”

 

Rey pulled her phone out of her pocket. She opened up her and Finn’s conversation and held it out to show him.

 

Above where his texts were from last night was a single, pleading line sent by Rey.

 

_ Hey finn, are you up? _

 

And underneath that two little words that were the cause of the whole misunderstanding.

 

_ Not delivered _

 

Finn felt awful that he wasn’t there for Rey when she needed him. Now though, he realized what had happened. He turned the phone back to Rey.

 

“Rey, sweetie, look what it says.”

 

She looked down at the screen then tipped her head back in frustration.

 

“Finn, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize-”

 

“No, don’t even worry about it! I’m the one who messed up. It’s just that I was thinking about you all day, and wondering if I should try to say something to you, or if you weren’t feeling it after the date. And then Poe and I got drunk, so I wouldn’t obsess about it for a few hours, except I still did, and that’s where the drunk texts came from.”

 

Rey gave him a small smile. “You didn’t mess up, not really. I don’t mind getting drunk texts. It’s just that I thought you forgot about me all day, or didn’t want to talk to me. And then I was like an afterthought when you were drinking.”

 

Finn was stressing. “No, Rey,  _ please _ don’t think you’re an afterthought or that I would ever not want to talk to you. I- I care about you a lot, OK?”

 

Finally the veil of sadness dropped from Rey. She stood a little straighter, and Finn thought she might be glowing again, just a tiny bit.

 

She smiled a little more and bit her lip. “Would you like to come inside?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	10. Finn

He stepped over the threshold to her house, marveling briefly at the fact that he was here at all.

 

“Do you want something to drink?” Rey asked, bringing Finn out of his momentary daze.

 

“Um, just water. Thank you.”

 

They were in a small kitchen crammed with granola bar and cereal boxes and bottles of various alcohols. It was clean, though. Rey opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to Finn.

 

“Thanks,” he said.

 

Rey held her arm out, gesturing at the kitchen and the small sitting area beyond that. “So this is everything,” she said. There were textbooks strewn across the ugly floral couch. The fridge was covered with magnets holding up countless photos of the girl who had answered the door and a lot of other people, none whom he recognized.

 

“Do you- do you want to see my room?” Rey asked nervously, and Finn almost passed out on the spot.

 

“Sure,” he stammered.

 

He followed her down a narrow hallway, passing a closed door and a laundry closet, then entered a room on the right.

 

Rey’s room. He was actually standing, in Rey’s room. Finn started hyperventilating a little bit. This was where she slept, and got dressed, and...he didn’t want to follow that path of thought. Not right now.

 

“Well, this is it,” said Rey.

 

The floor was bare wood, like in the rest of the house. Her mattress lay on the floor with the pillows against the white walls. One side had a closet. The curtains were drawn, but the light still passed through a little. But what Finn noticed most of all were the hundreds of tiny fairy lights strung up around the ceiling.

 

Rey noticed him looking and smiled. She walked over to the outlet and plugged them in.

 

The effect was magical. The room took on such a soft, ethereal glow that he hardly dared to look at Rey illuminated like this for fear that he might ascend to heaven directly on the spot.

 

“It’s not much-” she began.

 

“It’s perfect,” he said quickly.

 

She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs. “Do you have anything going on today?”

 

“No,” Finn answered honestly.

 

“Would you want to hang out for a bit? We could watch a movie or something…”

 

Finn had never agreed to something so quickly in his life.

 

Rey smiled. “Close the door,” she said, and Finn forgot how to breathe for a second.

 

With the door closed, the room looked even more beautiful. He finally chanced a glance at Rey.

 

Good lord. She glowed in the light and she glowed internally and she was hands down easily the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, in his life ever.

 

“You can sit,” she told him.

 

The only place to sit was on the bed, next to her.

 

He was not going to make it through this.

 

Finn gingerly perched himself on the edge of the bed, trying not to let his heart beat out of his chest.

 

“Come closer,” said Rey.

 

He inched over towards her. “Can- should I take off my shoes?” he asked her.

 

Rey nodded. “Definitely. And your sweater too.”

 

Divested of these items, Finn sat in the middle of the bed with his knees up to his chest.

 

“You can come up here,” Rey said. She was leaning back on the pillows against the wall.

 

He moved carefully up to sit next to her. She reached over the side of the bed and pulled out the computer. “What do you want to watch? I have a bunch of movies,” she added.

 

“I- I don’t know,” Finn said. “Anything you want.”

 

Rey pursed her lips a moment in thought. “Do you like Star Wars?”

 

“Yeah, I definitely do,” he told her honestly.

 

She clicked into a few different folders and then found the one she was looking for.  The title and roll credits came up for  _ Attack of the Clones _ .

 

They watched the adventures of Anakin and Obi-wan and Padme mostly in silence. About halfway through, Rey shifted so that the side of her body was pressed up against the side of his.

 

This was it, Finn thought. All the hints were there. It was now or never. Time to make a move.

 

He slid his hand, ever so slightly, so that it was covering her hand. Without looking at him, she interlaced their fingers.

 

Tbh, this was really enough for Finn. He could have gone the rest of his life sustained by the sweet touch of her skin against his, their hands clasped.

 

Apparently it was not enough for Rey. A couple minutes later, she turned her head away from the screen and faced Finn.

 

Her eyes were liquid and her lips were petals as she bit them. Still, there was the slightest hint of apprehension written across her face.

 

Finn did the first thing he could think of - he squeezed her hand. Immediately her smile grew and her expression cleared. She squeezed back.

 

He leaned forward and, with utmost gentleness, claimed her lips.

 

Kissing Rey was like...drinking a bottle of straight up sunshine. Like winning a race you had trained for your whole life.

 

It was complete, and utter, nirvana.

 

She closed the computer with one hand and pushed it down near the bottom of the bed. Then her free hand landed on his thigh, just above his knee. He could feel her palm warm through the fabric of his pants.

 

After another moment, Rey pulled back. Finn noticed she seemed to be breathing a little heavily, and then noticed that he was too.

 

She left her hand on his thigh.

 

“I hope that was OK,” Finn began to say. She put a finger to his lips.

 

“No apologizing,” she said. “Or I’ll think you regretted it.”

 

This could not be further from the truth but Finn was at a loss for how to put that emotion into words. The truth was that he wanted to spend every minute of every day of the rest of his life kissing Rey and making her feel as loved and wanted and respected as possible.

 

But he didn’t say this either. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	11. Rey

Kissing Finn was like...nothing Rey had ever experienced. His lips were gentle, as if she were delicate, but the passion behind them overwhelmed her.

 

She most certainly did not want him to regret it.

 

They broke apart after another minute. Rey could feel her heart beating fast. She gave Finn a shy smile and was rewarded with a big-ass grin.

 

“Do you- do you want-” Finn began to say and Rey’s heart sank. He was going to ask for sex. She knew it. All guys were like this but she had thought Finn was different.

 

“Would you like to get some lunch,” Finn finally managed, and internally Rey was hollering. He was so shy, and so hesitant, just to ask her about getting something to eat? This guy was perfect. He was everything.

 

“Yeah, definitely,” Rey told him. They both got up off the bed and Finn put his sweater and shoes on again while Rey grabbed a jacket from her closet. It was only when she turned off the fairy lights and opened the curtains that she noticed it was the jacket Finn had put on her after their date. Immediately she turned red and started to try to explain.

 

“Relax,” Finn said. “It suits you.”

 

Well, and then she went and turned red all over again.

 

They left the house and went out on the street. It was early, and a chill wind was blowing.

 

“Tacos?” Finn looked at Rey and asked.

 

“Definitely,” Rey grinned.

 

“If you want, I’ll take you to the best place in the city,” Finn offered. “We’d have to drive there but I have my car here if that works for you.”

 

“OK,” Rey agreed.

 

Once in the car, Finn asked Rey what he had been wondering for a couple hours now. “When you texted me Friday night - the one I didn’t get - what was going on?”

 

“Oh,” Rey seemed to deflate. “That. Pete came by the club that night.”

 

Finn’s eyes widened and Rey saw his fist curl up and relax. “He didn’t try to say anything to you, did he?”

 

“Well...he kind of did. Actually he bought a lap dance from me.”

 

She looked over and saw that Finn was holding his breath.

 

“After- after the dance,” Finn said slowly. “He didn’t try to follow you out to your car at the end of the night, did he?”

 

“No,” said Rey, and Finn breathed again. “But only because I left early. I felt like shit after what he said to me and I just- I couldn’t do it anymore.”

 

Finn didn’t ask what Pete had said to her. She was grateful for that, at least.

 

They pulled up at the taco place and went inside, the air between them tense. They ordered their tacos and paid separately. After finding a booth Finn and Rey sat across from each other and started eating in silence.

 

After two tacos were gone, Rey couldn’t take it anymore. “Finn, do you- you don’t think I’m a slut because I danced for Pete, do you?”

 

Finn dropped his taco, spilling its contents across his plate and the table. “Rey! How could you think that!” he exclaimed. “You did what you had to do to keep your job. It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

 

Rey felt her tough exterior front soften a little. “How  _ do _ you feel about me?” she asked curiously.

 

Now Finn went red. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, I don’t know if this is the right place…” he started to say.

 

Rey shook her head. “No excuses. I want to know what this is.”

 

“OK.” Finn said. “OK. I like you Rey. I like you a lot. And I really want this to go somewhere - well, anywhere you want - and I think there’s been some miscommunication between us.”

 

Rey nodded in agreement, smiling a little. He liked her a lot, huh? Where did  _ he _ want things to go? She was starting to realize she couldn’t expect from this relationship what she had gotten in the past.

 

They finished their tacos and went back out to the car. Both got in and buckled their seatbelts, but Finn didn’t turn on the car.

 

She looked over at him, ready to ask if he wanted to go, and saw that he was looking back at her, with an intense expression on his face.

 

“Rey,” he said. “I’m not ready to take you home yet.”

 

Oh. She wondered what he meant by that. She had been hoping they would go back to her room and maybe continue what they had started earlier…

 

“What did you want to do?”

 

Finn grinned. “Can I take you back to my place?”

 

They sped off toward Finn’s apartment, which was close by the taco place. Rey wondered if this had been his plan all along. If so she didn’t think she minded. She was starting to trust Finn a little and realizing that maybe he didn’t want anything she didn’t want.

 

She kind of wanted a lot, though.

 

Finn pulled into the driveway of a small white house in a residential neighborhood. The yard was neat and Rey could see what looked like the outline of a cat in the window. She relaxed a little more. 

 

When they got out of the car, Finn quickly came around to her side and gently took her hand. She tried to hold back a smile as he led her up the front path and through the door.

 

Inside the house was clean, cleaner than she would have expected from two dudes in their...mid twenties? Rey realized she didn’t know how old FInn was. Or even his last name.

 

Brushing off these concerns, she followed him through the front hallway. They entered a small sitting area where a guy was laying out on the couch in a full sweatsuit with cucumbers over his eyes.

 

“Poe.” Finn said. “POE. Wake up, we have a guest.”

 

Poe started suddenly and sat up. “Huh? What the- Finn! There you are! And this must be the lovely Rey.” He grabbed Rey’s hand that Finn wasn’t holding and kissed the back of it, and Rey found herself giggling. She could already tell Finn and Poe complemented each other well.

 

“ _ Enough, _ Poe.” Finn looked annoyed, and she squeezed his hand.

 

Poe put up his hands in mock defeat, then layed back down on the couch and put the cucumbers over his eyes again.

 

“Nice to meet you, Rey,” he called, but Finn was already tugging her away. 

 

On the other side of the room was a closed door with one of those “Hello my name is” stickers in the middle of it. Written in the blank space was FINN.

 

“Would- would you like to come in?” Finn asked apprehensively.

 

Rey nodded, and Finn pushed open the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	12. Finn

She was in his room. Inside his room. With the door closed. This was not a drill.

 

It was funny - when they were on his turf Rey actually seemed more comfortable than she had been with him in her room. She immediately toed off her shoes and laid his jacket on the chair. Then she hopped onto his bed, laid down with her head on his pillow, and patted the space next to her.

 

He couldn’t get his shoes and sweater off fast enough.

 

They laid on their sides, facing each other about a foot apart. For a while she just studied him, and him her. Finn felt like he could look at her forever.

 

“Hi,” said Rey.

 

“Hi,” Finn replied.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Rey asked.

 

Finn answered truthfully. “How I must be the luckiest guy in the galaxy to be here right now.”

 

She smiled, and he wanted desperately to know what she was thinking in this moment too.

 

She didn’t tell him, but she showed him.

 

Rey wiggled so she was about six inches closer to Finn and bit her lip. He suddenly felt all the air leave his body.

 

They both moved forward at the same time, lips meeting in the middle, and Finn quickly slipped an arm over and under her so he could hold her close to his chest like he had wanted since the first time he had laid eyes on her.

 

They kissed for a minute or so before Rey made a tiny little noise like a whimper, and Finn suddenly had to pull the lower half of his body away from where it was pressed against her.

 

She seemed to realize what had happened, because Rey smiled a little bit between kisses. She put her arms around his neck and rubbed her fingernails along the back of his head. Finn pulled away. “You’re torturing me,” he said breathlessly.

 

“Should I stop?”

 

“Please don’t.”

 

She smiled again. “Then come back here.”

 

Their legs and feet tangled together as they kissed for what felt like an hour. Finn knew he must be pressed up against her, but she didn’t seem to mind.

 

At last they broke apart, and Rey flopped onto her back on the bed. She looked over at him, her lips red and full and with eyes dark and intense.

 

_ I did that, _ he thought.

 

Suddenly the door pushed open and BB-8 jumped onto the bed.

 

“Oh! Sorry. This is BB-8. She’s Poe’s but she doesn’t know it.”

 

Rey smiled and let the cat curl up next to her head.

 

“Wow, she really likes you,” Finn observed. It was strange - usually when Poe brought someone home, BB-8 maintained her distance, and when Finn brought someone home...well Finn didn’t really bring anyone home.

 

Rey patted the cat for a few minutes, then Finn asked, “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

 

From the other room Poe shouted, “Would you like to stay forever?”

At dinner, for which Poe made Italian, the three of them sat and talked and laughed. Poe told embarrassing stories about Finn from when they were in school, much to Finn’s chagrin, and BB-8 jumped onto the table part way through, upsetting a water glass.

 

Finn jumped up to clean the mess, telling the others to stay sitting. As he mopped the water he noticed Rey pull out her phone and stare at it with her brow furrowed.

 

“Everything OK?” he asked casually.

 

Rey nodded, still looking at her phone and starting to tap out a text. Subtly, Poe left the room without either Rey or Finn noticing.

 

“It’s fine,” she said. “Fine. My roommates are just wondering where I am - they texted me a few hours ago but I didn’t notice.”

 

Now Finn felt like an asshole. “I’m sorry, Rey. I should have said something - I didn’t mean to take you away from your friends like that.”

 

“Actually,” Rey said as she looked up and met his eyes for the first time during the conversation. “Actually, it’s OK. I don’t know what it is, just - just being here with you and Poe kind of makes me realize that my roommates are just that - roommates. They’re not my real friends the way you guys are to each other.” She trailed off, and Finn was horrified to see that tears were gathering in her eyes.

 

“Hey, peanut, it’s OK,” he soothed.  _ Peanut? Where did that come from? _ Finn decided to just lean into it. He crossed over to where she was sitting and knelt by her chair.

 

“Rey, don’t worry about that right now. It’s going to be OK, you hear me?”

 

She nodded and gave him a watery smile.

 

“What did you tell Rose and Jess?” Finn asked.

 

“Just that I was over at a friend’s house for a while,” Rey answered, and Finn’s heart sank a little bit. Was she embarrassed to say she was with him?

 

The emotion must have been written on his face, because Rey winked as she said, “Relax. I was more protecting you from them. Jess and Rose can sniff out a juicy story like sharks smelling blood. I don’t want them all up in your - in  _ our _ \- business. It’s...something special,” she finished, biting her lip.

 

Finn honestly considered proposing to her right on the spot.  _ Something special _ . Well he did like the sound of that.

 

_ Focus, man. What’s your next move, _ he thought.

 

“Rey, I won’t lie - I  _ really _ like you,” he told her. “I want a lot with you. I just need to know how you feel, baby.” Was he coming on too strong? God, he hoped not.

 

In response Rey leaned down to where he was still kneeling on the floor and softly kissed him on the lips.

 

In an instant Finn had sudden image of him kneeling in front of her a few years down the line, and her kissing him back just as she was right now…

 

No. Too soon. He would unpack that one later. Preferably in the shower.

 

“I have to go,” Rey whispered. “I’ll get a ride home. You need to get some sleep before work tomorrow.” And with that she was out the front door, and gone, leaving only the scent of vanilla in her wake.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	13. Rey

Rey woke up Monday morning feeling better than she had in a long time. And it was all because of Finn, she thought. Wonderful, beautiful, amazing Finn.

 

She checked her phone and found that it was a little after 10. Rey decided she wanted to be a little bold. Finn would be at work right now but maybe when he got his break he would check his phone, right?

 

10:08am

_ Hi peanut whats up _

 

Finn’s response came back almost immediately.

 

_ Hi peanut thinking of u.. _

 

Rey held her phone close to her chest like it was a precious piece of mail. She texted him back,  _ Hows work _

 

_ Its ok...SOMEONE keeps giving me the stink eye _

 

Shit. She had almost forgotten that Pete would be at work with Finn. 

 

_ Are you ok? _

 

His reply was instant.

 

_ U know what I am _

_ He doesn’t get to ruin our lives _

_ Besides u know me _

_ Im luke Skywalkin on these haters _

 

Well, and now Rey was laughing as well as crying. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. He was going to be OK.  _ They _ were going to be OK.

 

They texted a little more through the rest of the day, though Finn did have work he needed to do. Around the time when he got out of work, Rey started her routine to get ready for her job.

 

She applied her makeup - heavy on the smoky eye and the glitter - and got changed into her usual black skirt and top with her tallest heels. She drove to work and went inside and danced and performed for what was really a lackluster Monday crowd.

 

At the end of the night she counted up her tips - a measly $17.

 

For the first time, Rey started to consider getting a new job.

 

It kind of made sense, the more she thought about it. She had been working at this club doing the same thing every night for nearly seven years now. The girls she worked with  now mostly skewed way younger than her at this point, and she had never gotten a raise - her wage went entirely to living expenses, and anything she did outside of that (not much) and her savings were made up of her tips.

 

With a lot to think about, Rey drove home and went to sleep.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday were mostly the same - she made a smoothie in the morning, went for a run, texted Finn a little, went to work and gave a half-hearted performance.

 

Thursday Rey awoke to her day off - and a text from Finn.

 

8:38am

_ Want to see you tonight _

 

That single line was enough to send Rey’s imagination spinning. Would he want to go out? Maybe to dinner or a cafe? Or...would he want to stay in?

 

She tried not to deliberate too much on this last possibility. She wasn’t sure how much of that she was ready for.

 

The day seemed to by sooo slowly until finally Finn texted her again.

 

4:55

_ Where are u _

 

She told him she was just at home.

 

_ Meet at my place in 30? _

 

_ See you then _

 

OK, now she had to get ready to see him. Last time they were together she was in her sweatpants, and she did not want that to be the case again today. Finally she decided on skinny jeans with rips, plain white t-shirt, hair in three buns, sneakers. Before she left she decided on a spray of her perfume, though she wasn’t really sure Finn liked the scent at all. No time to perseverate though, so she grabbed a windbreaker and was out the door.

 

She parked on the street and went up and knocked on the door.

 

Poe answered.

 

“Well if it isn’t the lovely young Rey,” he gushed. “ _ So _ good to see you again. Please come in, our friend Finn is just primping.”

 

From the bathroom Finn yelled, “Shut up Poe!”

 

Rey giggled.

 

A second later Finn came out, still wearing his work chinos and a hoodie.

 

“Hi,” he said.

 

“Hi,” Rey said shyly.

 

Then Finn was crossing the room over to Rey and enveloping her in his strong arms. Rey breathed deeply against his chest and brought her arms around his body. She had been home all day, but now she really felt like she was  _ home _ .

 

Too soon Finn let go, leaving his arms on her shoulders. “Dinner?” he asked. “I’m not much of a chef but I can make Annie’s mac and cheese.”

 

Rey smiled. “That sounds perfect.”

 

She sat on the counter while he boiled the pasta and added the necessary ingredients. While they were eating, Rey told him about her revelation.

 

“So I’ve been thinking,” she said. “About my job.”

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.

 

“I’m starting to think that dancing isn’t all I want to do in life.”

 

“What else were you thinking?” Finn asked around a mouthful of mac and cheese.

 

She took a deep breath. “I’m thinking about going back to school.”

 

“Rey, that’s amazing! For what?”

 

“I think...to be a mechanic.”

 

Finn smiled. “What?” Rey asked.

 

“Just - nothing. Just you’re perfect, you know that?”

 

Rey felt her cheeks heating up, and she dropped her head.  _ Perfect _ . God, there really was no one else like him in the whole world.

 

“I’ll still dance at night,” she told him, trying to change the subject. “To pay for it. But at least I’ll be working towards something bigger.”

 

“Rey.” Finn said seriously. “You are the most amazing woman I have ever met.”

 

She studied his face, but the words didn’t seem like a line.

 

“Do you-” she began. “Do you think you could help me with the application?”

 

Finn nodded, and a rush of gratitude flooded her heart.

 

After dinner they washed the dishes and left them in the rack to dry. Rey bounced on her toes, unsure of where the night was going next.

 

“Would you like to hang out in my room?” Finn asked uncertainly.

 

Rey nodded.

 

She followed him down the hall and through the living room. Poe seemed to have disappeared and she noticed his bedroom was open and dark, indicating that he had probably left the house entirely, maybe through the back door.

 

They entered Finn’s room and he turned on the light and shut the door behind them,

and then they were alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	14. Finn

They were alone, in his room. With the door closed. With no one else in the house.

 

Finn was about to start hyperventilating, until he saw the look on Rey’s face. She looked so unsure, so uncertain about the situation they were currently in and about what was going to happen next. Finn didn’t want her to be scared of him, and he definitely didn’t want her to be uncomfortable or feel like she had to do anything she didn’t want to.

 

So he sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed and patted the space across from him so Rey would sit down too.

 

“Rey, it is time for an exclusive interview with none other than, ya boy, me, Finn Azikiwe. Ask me anything and you will receive nothing more or less than the truth.”

 

Rey looked up at him and smiled a little, and he knew he was on the right track.

 

“OK, um,” she began. “How old are you?”

 

“26. Come on, give me a harder one.”

 

“Bagels or toast?”

 

Finn pretended to think. “Wow, that’s a personal one. I guess I’d have to say bagels.”

 

Rey pushed her lips together in thought. She was so god damn cute at all times always. “Summer or winter?”

 

“Summer, but only because I like to work on my tan.”

 

“Luke or Leia?”

 

Finn threw up his hands. “Too hard!”

 

“Fine,” she responded. “Why do you call me peanut?”

 

Her face was serious now, and Finn knew he needed to give her a real answer. “Because you’re small,” Finn said. “And you’re sweet, but not too sweet.”

 

At this she grabbed one of his pillows and hit him with it. “Hey! You’re not creating a safe space to let me express my truth!” he complained.

 

“OK, I’m sorry,” Rey said, laughing. She had taken his pillow and was holding it tightly to her body, and he knew it was going to smell like her heavenly vanilla scent later. “I’m sorry. Do you have any family?”

 

“Just my mom,” Finn told her. “We’re not close. I haven’t seen her for about five years.”

 

“Finn, I’m sorry,” Rey said gently. “Do you miss her?”

 

He thought for a moment. “I don’t, not really. I miss what she could have been, as a mother, but I don’t feel much connection to the woman she actually was. Does that make sense?” Finn was horrified to hear his voice break a little bit. Shit. He thought he was over this.

 

Slowly, Rey scooted over until their knees were touching each others. She reached her arms up until her hands were on either side of his face. “Hey,” she said softly. “She doesn’t know what an amazing person she’s missing.”

 

Finn couldn’t hold it in any longer. He wrapped his arms around her waist, marveling once more at how perfect she felt in his arms, and pressed his mouth to hers.

 

The tiny sigh she made when their lips touched was  _ everything _ , as was the way her whole body seemed to relax into his.

 

They kissed for a minute or two or twenty like that, and then Rey moved forward into his lap, with her knees on either side of him.

 

“Is this OK?” she whispered.

 

“Is it OK with you?” Finn asked.

 

She nodded.

 

“Then it’s more than OK by me, alright peanut?”

 

“Alright,” Rey smiled.

 

They kissed until the dark had fallen completely and peepers sang in the night air, until Rey’s lips grew full and pink and Finn’s felt slightly swollen.

 

(It wasn’t the only part of him that was swollen, truth be told, but he was trying to ignore that until she left. Not that he wanted her to leave. Just. It was something that needed to be taken care of when she wasn’t around.)

 

“I should go,” she said softly. “You have work in the morning.”

 

“Work? Nah, I can think of a bunch of things I’d rather do.”

 

“OK,” she said. “Five more minutes.” And he encircled her with his arms and laid back, so his head was on the pillow and her body was on his.

 

Now this was more like it. He was tormented by her lips on his, every wiggle of her hips and tiny gasp and sigh she made. This was pure ecstasy, goodness and light.

 

It was over all too soon. In a daze he watched as Rey pulled away from him and put on her shoes. She thanked him for dinner and told him to text her and was gone out the front door before he could really comprehend what had happened.

 

FInn laid on the bed for another half hour, not moving or thinking, just feeling drunk off Rey’s touch. Finally BB-8 came in and sat on his chest, soon followed by Poe (who did not sit on his chest).

 

“And how was Miss Rey this evening?” Poe asked dramatically. “Wait, she is a miss right Finn? Otherwise that would be seriously fucked up…”

 

“Shut up, Poe. Of course she’s a miss. Where did you go?”

 

“For a walk by the river,” Poe said. “Thought you two might need a little privacy. Was I right?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

 

“Yes,” Finn mumbled. 

 

“Have you guys had sex yet?”

 

Finn threw his pillow at Poe. “Of course not! We just met!”

 

Poe held up his hands. “Hey, I’m not judging. Just wondering if Finn’s virginity had come up yet.”

 

“It’s not a secret, Poe. And anyway, get out of here.”

 

Poe just laughed, scooped up the cat, and walked out of Finn’s room, closing the door behind him.

 

He had brought up a good question though, thought Finn. Would Rey be turned off by the fact that he was a virgin? Was she one? Was this something that was even going to ever come up in their relationship? Was what they had a relationship?

 

Too many questions, Finn thought. He didn’t want to think about all of it right now. 

 

His phone said it was 10:15, so he took off his shirt and changed into his sweatpants. He bundled himself under the blankets and fell asleep, dreaming of Rey. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	15. Rey

On Friday morning Rey awoke with a small smile on her face and sighed. Last night had been perfect - Finn was  _ everything _ . Rey was consumed with thinking about when she might see him again. Maybe later tonight?

 

Then she remembered that it was Friday night she had to work. And  _ then _ she remembered who came into work on Friday nights.

 

With Rey dreading tonight, the day seemed to speed by. Jess stopped into her room around 4:30 and invited her to come out for the night, like she did every Friday, and Rey declined, telling Jess she had to work, like she did every Friday.

 

After putting on her makeup and her outfit for the night, Rey sat on her bed for a few minutes and thought about Finn.

 

She hadn’t talked to him all day after she remembered that Pete would likely be at the club tonight. Honestly, Rey wasn’t even sure what she would say.

 

Right on cue, at 9pm Pete sauntered through the front door of the club, beady eyes focused on Rey.

 

_ Breathe, Rey _ , she told herself.  _ You can get through this. _

 

Just as she saw Pete stand up and start walking in her direction, the promoter came up to her.

 

“Kira,” he told her. “Someone’s bought a dance at table 24.”

 

Caught by surprise, Rey looked over to see who was sitting at table 24.

 

It was Finn.

 

Rey couldn’t help it - a huge smile broke out across her face.

 

“Hey stranger,” she said to FInn as she reached his table. She couldn’t help it - all of a sudden she was starting to feel a lot more confident.

 

Finn grinned. “Hi peanut,” he said.

 

“I’m told I owe you a dance,” Rey said. She started to smile demurely, but Finn shook his head.

 

“I don’t want you to dance for me, Rey.”

 

She looked at him curiously. “What do you want?”

 

“To talk. What did you do today?”

 

Finn kept asking Rey easy, straightforward questions, and slowly she stopped keeping an eye on Pete across the room.

 

After 30 minutes of this, Finn stood up. “Well peanut, I’m off. Have a good rest of your night, OK?”

 

“What?” Rey was confused. “Why are you leaving?”

 

“Pete’s gone,” said Finn. “He left fifteen minutes ago. I’ll make sure his car isn’t in the parking lot, and then I have to go. Talk to you soon, alright?”

 

And then he was gone, leaving a perplexed Rey behind to consider what had happened.

 

The rest of the night practically flew by, with Rey preoccupied by Finn’s sudden appearance and subsequent exit from the club. She wasn’t sure why he had come or left so soon - she only knew that she was grateful for his existence.

 

(Truth be told? She was grateful for his existence more than just tonight.)

 

At the end of the night, Rey drove back to her house. Rose and Jess were just getting home and Rey ran into them in the kitchen.

 

“Hey girl!” Jess was effervescent, and probably more than a little drunk. “What up?”

 

“Hi guys,” Rey said tiredly. “How was your night?”

 

“Ah-mazing,” Rose told her. “How are you?”

 

“Um, exhausted,” said Rey. “I better go...might need to get up early tomorrow.”

 

Jess narrowed her eyes. “Why would you have to get up early? Unless…” She exchanged a look with Rose. “You’re hanging out with your guy tomorrow, aren’t you? Spill the deets, girl!”

 

“There’s nothing to spill. We’re just friends and we’re taking it slow.”

 

Rose smiled. “Well, which is it? Are you just friends or are you taking it slow?”

 

Rey had no answer for that.

 

Saturday she woke up early and texted Finn and went for her run as it was starting to rain. When she got back home, she forced herself to have breakfast before checking her phone again obsessively.

 

8:52am

_ So much for sleeping in lol _

_ Hi peanut _

 

Rey was mortified. Had she really woken him up? And on his day off too…

 

_ Omg Im so sorry Finn! _

 

The reply came just a moment later.

 

_ NBD babe. U want to come over? _

 

Well, the answer to that was an immediate yes.

 

Buzzing with excitement, Rey took her shower and got dressed in black jeans, a tank top and a cardigan sweater. Under the tank top she was wearing a lacy bralette. Just putting it on made Rey feel all flushed. Was she going to let Finn see it today?

 

Once at his house, she knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. A minute later, the door opened and she was blessed by a full body view of Finn.

 

He was dressed casually today, more so than she had seen him before, in a t-shirt and carhartts.

 

“Peanut,” he said, and she rushed forward into his arms.

 

They went in the house back to Finn’s room. Rey noticed Poe was nowhere to be seen.

 

In his room, they sat on the bed, facing each other.

 

“Finn,” Rey began. “I want to thank you so much for what you did last night. I really owe you...blocking me from Pete - probably causing more problems for yourself at work - and then when you just  _ talked _ with me-”

 

Finn reached out and took her hand. “For starters, peanut, you don’t owe me anything. Ever. Anything you do I want it to be because you want to, OK?”

 

Rey nodded, and he continued. “I- I really care about you Rey,” Finn said and her heart thrilled. “I want to make you happy and keep you safe.”

 

Finn looked so earnest and sincere and beautiful and Rey felt like she was crawling out of her skin with wanting to touch him. They sat for a moment, just looking at each other, then Rey reached out and gave him a hug.

 

He leaned in and she felt him breathe deeply against her body. This was  _ right _ .

 

Rey felt overcome with emotion. She wanted everything with Finn.

 

Finally they broke apart, arms still holding one another, staring into each other’s eyes. She really liked Finn’s eyes. They were brown, and honest.

 

_ OK Rey. This is it _ , she told herself. She steeled herself, then surged forward to claim his lips. The momentum of her movement pressed their lips together and additionally knocked Finn over, so he was laying on his back and Rey on top of him.

 

Well. So if hugging Finn was amazing, kissing him was on another level completely. Rey could feel her heart flying, her brain shutting off, her body relaxing and letting out a very small moan-

 

Immediately Rey pulled back. “Oh my god. That was really embarrassing.”

 

Finn was already vehemently shaking his head no. “Rey, that was not anything to be embarrassed about. If anything,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck a little and going almost imperceptibly red, “it was kind of sexy.”

 

Rey was called sexy multiple times a shift five nights a week, but it had never meant anything until now. She knew she was pretty and had a nice enough body, but no man had ever made her feel as beautiful - as wanted - as Finn did.

 

(Well, possibly her high school boyfriend. But now was  _ not _ the time she wanted to be thinking about that.)

 

She’d unpack that one later. Right now she was in Finn’s arms, and there was no place she would have rather been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	16. Finn

Finn was sweating.

 

Rey was here, looking like a whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Rey was on his bed. Rey was kissing him. They were laying down and she was kissing him.

 

Rey had  _ moaned _ .

 

And he, Finn, had made that happen. She was the most perfect creature to ever walk the earth, and for some reason she wanted to hang around him.

 

So yeah, he was sweating.

 

Finn pulled Rey back in for another kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and relishing the feel of her body against his.

 

She moved her head back for a minute, catching her breath.

 

“Are you OK? Is- is this OK?”

 

Rey nodded.

 

They continued to kiss, Finn’s head on his pillow and Rey above him both laying on top of his sheets. It might have been ten minutes, or six hours. Finn didn’t know and he didn’t really care either. He wanted to do this forever.

 

After some time Rey pulled away and sat back on her heels. Finn looked up at her, equal parts questioning and admiring.

 

“Rey? Are you alright?”

 

Rey gave him a coy look. Then, without warning, she shrugged off her cardigan and pulled her tank top over her head.

 

Finn about passed out. He had seen her with only a bra on before, several times at the club. But this - this was different. This was only for him.

 

That, and she was wearing lace.

 

At the club Rey’s black bra was full coverage and fairly utilitarian. Seeing her from a distance while she was wearing it was worlds away from this. Finn could see the freckles on her shoulders. He could see a long, thin gold necklace with a turquoise bead hanging in the middle of her chest.

 

He could see her whole bra, which was black and tiny and lacey and definitely didn’t have any pushup.

 

This was the real Rey experience.

 

He couldn’t believe he was the one lucky enough to get to live it.

 

(He was trying very hard not to think about the fact that her bra was slightly see-through.)

 

“Is this OK?” Rey asked uncertainly, and Finn realized he had been staring.

 

“Yes! I mean, yeah. As long as you are comfortable with it.”

 

Rey nodded.

 

“Then come on back down here.”

 

Kissing Rey without her shirt on was even more mind-blowing than before. His hands were on her back and he could feel warm skin, so soft and so smooth. 

 

At last, too soon, Rey rolled off him and layed on her side with her head on the pillows so they could face each other.

 

“Hey,” Finn said at the same time as Rey said “Hi.”

 

Both of them laughed a little.

 

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” Finn asked

 

Rey thought. “A little water, please?”

 

Finn smiled. “BRB.”

 

Out in the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle, Finn let the cool air of the fridge wash over his face for a few seconds. He knew he was getting too hot and needed to calm down a little or he would scare away Rey.

 

He hoped her shirt would still be off when he got back to his room though. She was going to be the end of him, and he would be glad for it just because it was her.

 

Finn reopened the door to his room and slipped inside. Rey was laying on her back, head on the pillows and one leg crossed over the other, playing on her phone. Her top was still off. 

 

She honestly looked so natural and perfect - like she belonged there - that Finn choked up a little.

 

He wanted her for the rest of his life.

 

“Hi,” she said looking over at him as he approached the bed. “Thanks for the water.”

 

“Anything, peanut,” Finn said breezily. He handed the bottle to her and she sat up and took a sip. 

 

“What time is it?” Rey asked.

 

Finn checked his phone. “3:38. Does that mean you have to go?”

 

Rey bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, unless…”

 

“Unless what?” Finn was trying to keep calm but he  _ really _ liked the sound of “unless”.

 

“Unless you wanted me to call in? And...we could go out dancing?”

 

“Yeah, I-” Finn rubbed the back of his neck. That sounded amazing, but- “Will you get in trouble at work?”

 

Rey shook her head no. “Girls call in all the time, and it’s no big deal. And anyway, I haven’t called out in three years.”

 

Finn gulped. “OK. OK. Then, uh, let’s go dancing.”

 

Truth be told he was a little nervous. He had never really been dancing before, except a couple times in Spain during his university semester there. What was she going to expect from him?

 

Rey was already making plans. “OK, so you drive to my house and you can leave your car there. Then we’ll uber downtown. I know a great spot.”

 

“Great,” said Finn, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “Do you, uh, want time to get ready?”

 

“Yeah,” Rey said. “Come over in like an hour, OK?”

 

She was putting on her shirt now and finding her keys. Finn walked her to the front door. “See you soon,” he said.

 

Rey turned back to face him. “See you soon.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, and they both went a little red. “Bye.”

 

And then she was gone, in her car and driving away. 

 

Finn immediately went back in the house and jumped in the shower. Unbidden, the image of Rey laying on top of him in her bra came to his mind.  _ God… _

 

That got him through the rest of his shower, and he got out and went to sit on his bed wearing his towel.

 

_ Shit _ .

 

Right on cue, the front door opened. “Hey Finny!” Poe called.

 

He was saved. “Poe get in here right now. Please.”

 

“What’s up?” Poe poked his head around the door to Finn’s room.

 

“It’s Rey,” Finn said. 

 

“Oh, no, buddy-” Poe came in the room and patted Finn’s shoulder. Finn looked up at him.

 

“What? No! She wants to go dancing tonight and I have no idea what to wear. Please help?”

 

Poe grinned. “You have come to the right place. And also, dancing?” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

 

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Finn said. “We’re just going to hang out.”

 

Snorting, Poe went over to the closet. “Sure I believe that one...I’m thinking v-neck and slim pants?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	17. Rey

By the time Rey got home, she only had 45 minutes left in the hour she had requested. Quickly she jumped in the shower, dried and straightened her hair, and applied some eyeliner.

 

Then she stood in her towel facing her closet. Damn. What to wear?

 

After considering a dress, a bodysuit, and white pants she finally decided on a rhinestone jewel bra under a white tank top with black ripped jeans. It was simple and flirty and a little bit sexy...just what she was going for.

 

As she was putting in her earrings she heard a knock on the door. Rey practically ran to answer it.

 

Behind the door was Finn, looking cool as an icepack. He had on dark pants and a white button up shirt under a black skinny jacket. On his feet were adidas.

 

Rey realized she was probably staring. “Sorry. Um, I mean hi.”

 

Finn seemed to be having a similar reaction to her outfit, and she knew she had chosen right. “Um. Rey. You look...delicious.” He facepalmed, and Rey giggled. The brief tension between them was broken.

 

“Come on in,” Rey told him. “I just need to get my shoes.” She had decided on plain white sneakers.

 

Finn came into her room and sat on her bed. “Where are we going?”

 

“Downtown,” said Rey. She grabbed her bag. “Ready?”

 

“Lead the way,” said Finn.

 

Rey called the uber and they waited outside for it to arrive. The night was pleasantly warm with a slight breeze, and Rey could see a few stars.

 

The car pulled up and Finn and Rey got into the back. They didn’t talk much - the tension seemed to back - but Finn put out his hand for Rey to hold. She grabbed it and he squeezed.

 

Once downtown, they pulled up by a door that was leaking loud salsa music and purple light. “This is it,” said Rey.

 

“Do you come here a lot?” Finn asked.

 

She shook her head. “I’ve been here once. With Jess and Rose.”

 

“Oh. Cool,” Finn said. Rey thought he seemed...nervous?

 

She took his hand and led him inside.

 

Once they showed their IDs and went in, Rey tapped out a quick text on her phone and seconds later Jess was right in her face, screaming. “Reyyy! You’re here! With your MAN.”

 

Rey nodded, wondering if she had made a mistake by coming to this club in particular. Oh well. Too late now.

 

Jess had gone back to her table, telling Rey and Finn to join her when they had gotten drinks. In an effort to make the most of the night, Rey looked back at Finn before leading him to the bar.

 

“What do you want?” she shouted at him over the music, and Finn shrugged.

 

“Anything. Whatever you’re having.”

 

Rey ordered them a couple of mini lime-margarita tequila shots. Tipping hers back, she felt a little guilty. She wasn’t supposed to drink alcohol with the medication she was on. But - one tiny drink couldn’t hurt, right?

 

Immediately she felt the shot go to her head. She looked over at Finn, who was sipping his.

 

“Let’s dance,” Rey shouted. He raised his eyebrows then nodded and tipped back his shot. 

 

He followed her out to the floor and Rey started to move right away. Unlike a lot of the girls she knew at the club, dancing was a passion of hers - any kind of dancing. Finn swayed a little hesitantly.

 

Boldly, Rey reached for his hand and put it on her waist. She put hers on his shoulder and they started to dance.

 

Clearly he had very little experience dancing, but he got into it anyway, following her feet and the way she moved.

 

As they danced, they moved closer and closer to each other.

 

Then a song with a heavier beat came on, and Rey decided to be kind of brave.

 

She turned around and pressed her back against his front, and guided his hands onto her waist. Then she started to dancing again.

 

Finn obviously had no idea what to do in this situation, so she led the way.

 

Rey kept pulling his arms around her, moving all around and even bending all the way forward at one point. Finally he began to dance too. They moved their hips together to the beat, and everything else fell away.

 

As the song ended, Rey pulled him back to the bar and ordered two more shots. She drank hers quickly, and Finn tried to as well. She could tell he didn’t really drink much, at least take shots, and that kind of endeared him to her a little more. It wasn’t really her thing either, but once in a while she did it.

 

Rey felt free and uninhibited. She and Finn made their way over to Jess’s table where her and Rose greeted them with high-pitched screams.

 

The noise in the place was starting to hurt her ears. Rey gestured toward the door and Finn nodded, so she waved goodbye to her roommates and they navigated the crowd until they were out into the cooling night.

 

“Tacos,” said Rey. 

 

“What?” Finn asked. He kept rubbing his forehead and looking around them at the empty street.

 

“We need to get tacos,” Rey told him. “I know a place near here.”

 

They walked six blocks to an old painted schoolbus with “Miki’s” spray painted on the side. Rey led Finn up to the window and ordered them each three one-dollar tiny chicken tacos.

 

They ate them quietly, off of one paper plate, under a fluorescently bright streetlight. Rey could feel herself sobering up a little, and she wondered where the night was going. She wondered where she wanted it to go.

 

(She was pretty sure she knew.)

 

Finn looked up at her after finishing his tacos. His eyes were intense as he asked, “Can I take you back to my house?”

 

Rey nodded.

 

He threw away the plate and they walked over to the nearest bus stop. They held hands and exchanged glances without  saying anything.

 

The bus came and they rode it to the stop nearest Finn’s house, which was still a bit of a walk. As the bus sped away behind them, Finn said, “You know I’m not expecting one single thing from you tonight, right?”

 

Rey released tension she hadn’t even realized she was holding. “I’m not expecting anything of you either,” she said, to try and lighten the mood, but Finn nodded seriously.

 

“OK.” he said.

 

“OK.” she said back. She squeezed his hand and he looked over at her and smiled a little, and she knew they were going to be alright.

 

They had reached Finn’s house, which was dark. BB-8 was sitting in the front window, bright white fur against the shadows.

 

“We have to be quiet,” Finn whispered. “Poe’s probably asleep.”

 

With only the cat as a witness, the pair slipped into Finn’s room and shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	18. Finn

Finn’s heart was roaring, his eyes shut in the warm darkness of his room.

 

He’d only had two shots but he was pretty sure he had gotten more drunk on Rey.

 

Flipping on the light, Finn took a deep breath.

 

“Hey,” he said.

 

Rey looked up at him with an expression that was hard to decipher. She was definitely buzzed if not still slightly drunk, and Finn made a decision. He went to his drawers and pulled out a t-shirt and sweatpants and handed them to Rey.

 

“Here,” he said. “You can sleep in these. I’m going to sleep on the couch, OK?”

 

He said it and immediately regretted it. Rey was assessing him with her eyes, he could feel it, and he wasn’t sure he was passing.

 

Before anything else could happen, he left her in his room and went out to the sitting area.

 

It was a long, uncomfortable night and not just because of the spring jamming into his back. Finn was conflicted about whether he had made the right decision in giving Rey some space for the night. 

 

His head told him this was the right move, because they had both been drinking and were more uninhibited and their judgment more impaired than it usually would be.

 

His heart told him he was an idiot. This might be the only chance to get to sleep beside Rey, and he blew it.

 

In the morning Finn was watching the news when Rey came out of his room, looking like a morning angel in his too-big clothes. Her hair was messed up on one side, and her eye makeup was smudged.

 

“Hi,” she said, in a slightly crackly morning voice, and Finn about lost his damn mind. “Can I have some water please?”

 

Finn scrambled up off the couch and sped into the kitchen to get her some water. By the time he got back to her, she had gathered all of her going-out clothes from the night before and had her shoes on.

 

Disappointment must have been written all over his face, because she said, “I’m sorry, Finn. I have to go. I’ll text you, OK?”

 

“Can I give you a ride home?”

 

Rey nodded.

 

The car ride across the city was mostly silent. When they pulled up outside Rey’s house, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “About last night. I’ll talk to you soon, Finn.”

 

Finn drove back home thinking about what she had meant. What did she have to be sorry about? Did this mean she wasn’t mad at him? Was he still mad at him?

 

There were no answers. The smell of bacon greeted him as he walked back through the front door of the house.

 

“Morning,” Poe said cheerfully. “How was your night, my friend?”

 

Finn rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know. Amazing and frustrating. And tacos.”

 

“Why dude?” Poe asked while putting bacon and toast onto two plates. “Does it have anything to do with you sleeping on the couch last night?

 

As they ate, Finn explained the story, how they had been drinking and dancing, and came back to the house.

 

“So she slept in your bed?” Poe asked around a mouthful of food. “Without you?”

 

Finn nodded.

 

“You’re a good man, Finn.” Finn shrugged. “Well, I don’t know about that-”

 

Poe patted him on the shoulder. “You can do the dishes, OK?”

 

After the dishes were done, Finn went back to his room and laid down on his bed.

 

He could smell vanilla on his pillow.

 

The phone buzzed in his pocket, and he scrambled to get it out. 

 

It was a text from his boss, asking him to come in for a few hours today to work on a big project that was almost due. Finn agreed, showered and got dressed in passably nice clothes, and drove over to the office.

 

His boss let him in through the side door, and they wound through the hallways until they were outside conference room B.

 

Only once before had Finn been in conference room B, for a training. It was the nicer of the two conference rooms, and bigger, and Finn wondered what they were doing in there instead of the drafting table in the cubicle area where they did most of their work. They turned into the room, and Finn saw why.

 

Han Solo, the Solo of Solo and Associates, was working the case. Papers were spread across the glossy wood table, and the whiteboard had writing on it with names, and lines connecting them, and pictures of under some of the names.

 

This was the Lulay case. The defendant swore he hadn’t done it, but all the evidence said that he had. It was a huge case that had gained notoriety in the city for first having a mistrial. Solo and Associates had taken it on and was working pro bono.

 

It was Finn’s dream case to work on.

 

Han looked up as they entered the room. “Good, you’re here.”

 

Finn nodded.

 

“Let’s get to work.”

 

At first Finn hung near the back and didn’t say much, but as the day went on, he stepped up a little more and found his voice.

 

By the time it was dark out, he was exhausted. He was reading through evidence he had already gone through twice when he saw it. 

 

There was a detail - a tiny detail - that would be enough to get the defendant off.

 

“Han,” he said distractedly, not bothering to address him any other way. “You have to see this.”

 

Han came over and read through the document. “Well, shit boy.”

 

“It’s enough, right?” asked Finn.

 

“Yeah, kid. it is. You’ve done good.” Han patted Finn once on the back, and Finn felt like a million bucks.

 

They all went home shortly after that, to get some rest before Han had to appear in court early tomorrow morning. Once home, Finn made a little grilled cheese and tomato sandwich snack and took it to his room.

 

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and pulled it out, thinking it was probably something his boss had forgotten to tell him.

 

It was Rey.

 

7:58pm

_ Hi Finn _

 

Dang. What did that mean? Was she still mad at him? Had she ever been mad at him?

 

_ Hey peanut whats up _

 

Her reply was immediate.

 

_ Just thinking about you _

 

_ What were you thinking ?? _

 

_ That i had a really good time with u last night _

 

Finn gulped. Omg. 

 

_ So u are not mad at me _

 

_ No ?? why would i be _

 

_ Because i ditched u. n made u sleep alone _

 

So it was out there. Her reply took a few minutes.

 

_ Finn peanut i would have loved to sleep in your bed with u but i dont want anything u arent ready fr. there will b a next time ok _

 

HIs heart soared. Best day ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	19. Rey

Thankfully Rey had managed to sneak into her apartment without Jess and Rose noticing. She was not prepared for the scene that would have caused.

 

During the day, things were quiet - she went for a run and made a smoothie and chicken salad. It was kind of strange, not having worked the night before and not working today either. She was sort of wistful about it, thinking it was nice to have two days off in a row. Finn got to have that every week.

 

Oh Finn. Rey smiled just thinking about him. It was nice that he had given her a little space to deprogram after their night out, which had felt super intense. And sleeping in his bed was amazing - it was soft and perfect and smelled just like him. Rey hoped she would have the chance to sleep in it again.

 

Preferably with him in it as well.

 

Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday went by in a blur - it rained everyday and Rey didn’t go for her run, instead staying inside and playing on her laptop. She and Finn texted a little, not really about anything, just keeping in touch.

 

Finally it was Thursday, and her day off, and Rey woke up ready for an adventure. The morning was bright, and not raining, and there was optimism in the air.

 

She spent the morning as usual and made some lunch, then decided it was time to text Finn. Maybe even make a plan to see him tonight.

 

1:32pm

_ Hi babe _

 

The response came right away.

 

_ Darling! hi _

 

Rey felt herself flush at “darling”. It was so domestic, like something two people would call each other when they had been together forty years.

 

_ Do u want to hang out later _ , she asked.

 

_ Definitely and i can leave a little early today. pick u up in like.. 2 hrs ? _

 

She told him that was perfect and laid down for a little while. When she got up it was after 3 so she started getting ready to go, putting things in her bag, her packable rain coat, some protein bars, on top of all the usual items. She put on a gray hoodie and some jean shorts, and her brown ankle boots. Then she went to sit out on the front step to wait for Finn.

 

Ten minutes later she heard his car come down the road and went out to the street to meet him.

 

“I don’t know about you,” he said. “But I’m feeling like an adventure.”

 

He probably had stopped at home, she noticed. He had on khakis and a basketball tee with black sneakers, and he looked like a cool glass of water on a hot day.

 

Rey grinned. “Definitely.”

 

Finn started the car and they headed west, out of the city. The landscape was beautiful this time of year, greens and browns of every shade punctuated by pink flowers.

 

They chatted about Finn’s day, and the big case he had been working on with Han. 

 

“It’s very impressive,” Rey told him. “I know Han sees something in you.” She took a breath and added shyly, “I do too.”

 

Finn tried to hide his smile but he definitely wanted to, and he sat up a little straighter in the driver’s seat. Rey went pink. Who knew she could make someone feel like that?

 

About an hour in, Rey finally asked, “Where are we going?”

 

Finn smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

 

It was another hour of driving through hills and tiny towns before Finn parked, at the top of a grassy hill.

 

“Come on,” he said. “We’re getting out.”

 

Not knowing what to expect, Rey stepped out of the car and made her way hesitantly to the peak of the hill where Finn was waiting for her.

 

She crept forward and suddenly the world fell away around her.

 

Before Rey was the vastness of the ocean, layed out like a gray tapestry. The wind wrapped around her ears and made her shiver in her shorts. On either side were cliffs, high and rocky, and she realized they must be standing on one too.

 

They. In her wonderment at the view Rey had almost forgotten Finn was there. She looked over at him and saw him looking back with an intense expression, difficult to interpret. His gaze made Rey feel like she was the only girl in the galaxy.

 

“I bet you take all your dates here, huh,” Rey said, trying to lighten the mood with a joke.

 

Finn just kept watching her. He shook his head. “There are no other dates.”

 

While Rey was trying to process this (was he saying they were dating? Or that they were exclusive? Or that she was the first girl he brought here. That seemed unlikely), Finn started back to the car.

 

“Come on,” he called to her from the driver’s seat. “We’re going to walk on the beach.”

 

Quietly, they wound their way back down the road they had taken up. At the bottom of the hill, Finn made a couple of turns, and a few minutes later they were driving through the downtown of a beach town.

 

They parked in a municipal lot, got out and climbed the dunes to the beach. Immediately Rey took her shoes off and hid them under someone’s deck.

 

The sand squished between her toes, cool and soft. It was unusually warm for the time of year, but there was definitely a storm brewing in the distance. The wind whipped her hair around her head.

 

Finn looked unsure. “Are people going to mind that we’re leaving shoes here?”

 

“Absolutely not. It’s not even beach season - these houses are all empty right now anyway.”

 

So Finn took off his shoes too, and rolled up his pants a little, and they set off together down the vast, empty beach.

 

The mood was lighter down here. Rey saw a baby seagull and decided it was the cutest thing she had ever seen, so Finn made it his mission to catch one.

 

While he was unsuccessful, Rey got a lot of laughs watching him creep up on the birds and inevitably scare them away. Finally he gave up and came to walk beside her again.

 

“Sorry babe,” he said. “I owe you one.”

 

Rey smiled. “You don’t owe me anything, remember?” referencing the night she had slept in his bed.

 

He smiled too. “Ready to turn back?” She didn’t want to, but it looked like a good idea. The storm had gotten closer to shore and the wind was colder, and less gentle.

 

They turned around and Rey looked out at the sea. While she was glanced away, Finn slipped her hand into his.

 

Hand in hand Rey and Finn continued down the beach. The feeling between them was light and delicate, and Rey wasn’t ready for it to end when she could see their shoes.

 

Just as they reached the deck, the sky opened up above them. The waves were crashing and roaring, and the rain was like tiny dimes hitting them from above.

 

They ran back to the car clutching their shoes, and Finn unlocked it and they hurried inside.

 

“Oh shit,” said Finn. “That was not how I planned things to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	20. Finn

Inside the car, with the rain beating down on the roof, Finn laid his head on the steering wheel.

 

_ Who goes to the beach without looking at the weather first? _

 

He sighed. From inside his pocket, his phone began to ring.

 

It was his boss.

 

“Hello?” said Finn, mouthing  _ I’m sorry _ to Rey.

 

“Finn, Han appeared in court today and presented your evidence.”

 

Finn’s heart started to beat fast. Had he messed it up somehow?

 

“He wanted me to tell you that you saved the defendant. An innocent man got to walk free today because of you, Finn. Han said he couldn’t have done it without you.”

 

“I, uh, thanks,” Finn stammered. He didn’t really know what else to say.

 

“Take the rest of the weekend off, OK?” his boss told him. “We’ll see you on Monday.”

 

_ Beep. _ The line went dead.

 

He looked over at Rey, slightly obscured by the rising shadow of evening and the heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. She was a vision, even with her hair all wet and falling down and her clothes all soaked.  He looked down at himself - he must look like a mess.

 

“I have a day off tomorrow,” Finn said tentatively. He was about to suggest that they drive home now and get together again Friday when a huge clap of thunder fell and the rain started pouring even harder.

 

“Finn, we can’t drive back in this,” Rey said. “It’s too dark already and dangerous with the rain, especially on the mountain roads.”

 

Finn knew she was right. Driving back wouldn’t be the smart choice to make. But what was she suggesting?

 

Rey took a deep breath, as though what she was about to say was difficult for her to get out. “I think we should find a motel room for the night.”

 

“Are you sure?” Finn asked. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with-”

 

“We’ll get a room with two beds,” Rey said in a rush. “It’ll be like a sleepover party, OK?”

 

They drove cautiously around the corner to the first motel that had the lights on. Finn noticed that Rey was shivering heavily, with her wet clothes and bare legs. He wasn’t so warm himself, either.

 

At “The Fisherman’s Wife” motel, they parked and got out and ran to the over hang. The office was brightly lit and down the row of doors so they headed there.

 

Inside the reception office it was warm and cozy. There were pictures of the coast hung on the walls, and big armchairs. Behind the wood counter was an older woman, writing on a piece of paper. She looked up when they came in.

 

“Hello! Good stormy evening! Welcome to The Fisherman’s Wife!”

 

“Hi,” Finn said, taking the lead. “Do you have any rooms available for tonight?”

 

She checked her paper. “Well, only one that’s unoccupied and clean. But it’s yours if you’d like.”

 

Finn looked back at Rey, who was standing hesitantly near the door. She shrugged and nodded.

 

“Is it a room with two beds?” Finn asked hopefully.

 

The woman checked her paper again. “I’m afraid not my dear. Just a queen.”

 

Finn’s heart sank. No way would Rey agree to that. He opened his mouth to tell the woman thanks, but no thanks, but before he could, Rey came forward.

 

“We’ll take it,” she said, and Finn looked at her with his mouth hanging open. Did she really just say that? Was she more ready to share a bed with him than their night out? Was  _ he _ ready to?

 

The woman nodded and handed them a sheet to sign and key. “It’ll be $65 for tonight..”

 

Rey and Finn both reached for their wallets at the same time.

 

“I’ll get it,” he said.

 

“I can,” Rey argued. “It’s my fault we stayed outside so late.”

 

“No way,” Finn countered. “It’s  _ my _ fault we’re out here in the first place.

 

Rey made a bit more noise about it, but finally let him give the woman his card.

 

They grabbed the key and headed back out into the night. Rey was still shivering and Finn wished he had a sweater to give her.

 

Their room was on the first floor close to where they had parked, and they let themselves in right away.

 

Inside, the decoration was very seaside-y. There was a lobster box end table and starfish painted on the walls of the tiny bathroom. And of course there was the bed.

 

Finn stared at it like it was a wild animal about to strike. How was the night going to go? He decided he would sleep on the floor as the room was too small even for a couch or armchair.

 

He looked over at Rey, and saw her staring at the bed in much the same way. For the millionth time he wished he knew what she was thinking.

 

She shivered again, and Finn crossed the room to the thermostat and jacked it up to 86. Immediately hot air began to blow out of the vents, and Rey took off her shoes and put her feet on one of them.

 

“Come here,” she said to him and he was powerless to disobey.

 

“Take off your shoes,” she told him, and he did, and put his feet next to hers on the heating vent. He lifted up his smallest toe on his right foot and layered it over the smallest toe on her left foot. She smiled.

 

“Want to see if there’s a movie on?” he asked her.

 

Rey nodded. They both stood up and sat on the bottom edge of the bed with the remote.

 

It was a Thursday night and the motel only had basic cable, so there weren’t too many options. They settled on a made for TV movie that was just starting, about a teenage boy who lived on a farm in Vermont that hired illegal immigrants. Rey took off her sweatshirt as the room warmed up, and they watched as the boy on the farm grew closer to and fell in love with the daughter of the migrant workers.

 

They slowly crept further up on the bed, until they were reclining on the pillows beside one another. The movie went on, and the ICE came and arrested the whole family of migrant workers, including the daughter. The last scene was the boy chasing the van that took them away, crying, and running down the road throwing rocks at it until it disappeared out of sight and the end credits rolled.

 

Finn looked over at Rey, and saw that she was crying too. He sat up to face her. “Rey, baby, what’s going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	21. Rey

Rey couldn’t explain it - she was very affected by the movie they had watched. She had gone to school with a lot of undocumented immigrant kids, and knew the pain that the community felt when a family was taken from their midst.

 

Still, she was  _ horrified _ to be crying in front of Finn.

 

He took her hand, and she was moved by his gentleness. The room had certainly warmed up, and they were both pretty much dry at this point.

 

Rey decided to be brave. “Want to go to bed?”

 

“Sure,” said Finn, rising from the bed with one of the pillows and crossing to the center of the room. “Good night, peanut,” he said, and laid down on the floor with his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

 

Oh no. This was not going to fly with Rey. They were both adults - why couldn’t they share the bed? She decided to tell him this.

 

“Rey,” Finn said. “I won’t do anything that would make you uncomfortable, or that was going too fast. I know we’re both cautious - this is the best way, OK?”

 

She shook her head. “It’s not. I want you, and you want me. We’re the last two people in the galaxy tonight - why can’t we both have what we want?”

 

Finn was staring at her with his mouth slightly open, and that made her smile a little. “Come here, peanut,” she said and patted the bed next to her.

 

Slowly, Finn rose from the floor and joined her sitting on the bed. “What do you mean,” he said, “‘you want me?’”

 

“I mean,” Rey began, and laid her cards on the table. “I like you, a lot. Like a lot-lot. That almost never happens to me. I want,” and here she faltered a little. “I want to get to know you better,” she finished, and immediately felt like she hadn’t gotten her point across.

 

“Can I turn out the light?” Finn asked gently. She nodded.

 

He got up, then came back over and sat with her again. “Rey,” he said, “I’m not trying to force anything, I just want to be practical. Neither of us can comfortably sleep in the pants we’re wearing. We don’t have to touch, or anything at all. But would you be OK if I slept just in my shorts?”

 

Rey’s eyes widened in the darkness. She couldn’t make him out at all except for a silhouette against the angry blue black sky peeking through the curtains. “Um….yes. You can. Is it OK if I do too?” She tried not to draw attention to the fact that all she had under  _ her _ shorts was a tiny pair of undies.

 

“It’s OK,” Finn said, and they both divested themselves of the aforementioned layers. They were both sitting on the bed, in t-shirts in underwear. Rey decided to make the next move.

 

“I’m going to sleep under the blanket,” she told him. “You’re welcome to as well.” It was funny, she thought, how careful they were being around each other. Their dance was one born of previous emotional hardships.

 

Finn breathed in deeply, she could hear him in the darkness, then slid under the covers as well. Neither could see each other but they still faced each other, laying with their heads on the pillows.

 

“Hi,” they both said at the same time, then both laughed. The mood between them lightened a bit.

 

“So,” Finn began. “I seem to remember telling you my last name a while back, but I still don’t know yours.”

 

Rey smiled. “It’s Perez,” she told him. “Rey Emmanuela Perez.”

 

“That’s- it’s beautiful,” said Finn.

 

She shrugged. “I didn’t pick it. I don’t even really know the person who did.” This last part came out harsher than she had intended. “I mean. thank you.” she amended.

 

“What were your adopted parents like?” Finn asked.

 

“They were good people - I really did love them. They wouldn’t be too pleased with my career choice, though.”

 

“How  _ did _ you get into your career? Like, did you want to? Why do you stay?”

 

Rey took a deep breath. “OK, so my training is actually as a dancer. All my life I really loved to dance, and my parents supported it with ballet and gymnastics classes. When they died I was in foster care for six months while I finished high school, and then I had to move out. I lived on the street for a while,” she told him, hoping it wouldn’t change his view of her. “I saw an ad outside a bar one day looking for dancers. I went in and they hired me on the spot. In the first two weeks, I made enough to rent a room in a house, and since then I’ve just moved around, staying at my job - it’s been the only constant in my adult life.”

 

“Rey, that’s - I don’t know what to say. It says a lot about your strength that you led this life and yet didn’t let it make you hard or jaded. You have a beautiful heart, peanut.”

 

For the second time that night, Rey felt herself tearing up.

 

“You’re so brave, Rey,” Finn said softly. She felt him shift then take her hand and squeeze.

 

“Can I…” Rey began.  _ OK Rey. Time to be brave _ . “Can I kiss you?”

 

Finn made a small noise like all the air was leaving his body. “I- yeah. You definitely can. Come here, peanut.”

 

They embraced, moving closer together until their bodies were aligned. Rey’s mouth sought Finn’s, and gently they met between them.

 

The kiss was slow, easy, unconcerned. She had her arms around his neck and he had his around her waist, and their lips came together over and over. Rey could feel her heart beating hard in her chest, and a flutter low in her stomach.

 

At the same instant they both pulled back an inch, foreheads resting against each other, both breathing heavy.

 

“You OK?” Finn asked.

 

“Yeah, I am,” Rey said quietly. “Are you?”

 

“Yes,” said Finn. “I am most certainly OK.”

 

“OK,” said Rey. “That’s good.”

 

Finn laughed. “Come back here.” He reached out to cradle her and pulled her into his chest, rolling her on top of him in the process.

 

Well. This she didn’t mind at all. He was holding her, rubbing her back, and further down their legs tangled together. As the kiss continued, she could feel him against her thigh.

 

If it had been anyone else, any other situation - Rey would have felt trapped. Terrified. But this was Finn. Sweet, good Finn. Rey knew she was safe in his arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	22. Finn

Finn wasn’t sure he hadn’t died and ascended.

 

Rey was in his arms -   _ kissing _ him - letting him put his hands all over her back and shoulders. He knew he was getting too excited, but he was finding it more difficult as the night progressed to care very much.

 

Then Rey squirmed the tiniest bit, and nipped at his lower lip, and he felt his body take control.

 

Finn rolled them so he was above her, one arm supporting his weight, the other bent so his hand could cradle her face. Their legs were still tangled.

 

Mortifyingly, Finn felt his hips move just the slightest bit.

 

She pulled back for a moment. “Oh god, Rey, I’m so sorry, I-”

 

“Finn,” she said, and he could tell she was smiling. “It’s OK. More than OK, really.”

 

He dipped his head low to kiss her again. Truly he was the luckiest man in the entire galaxy. 

 

Then she moved her hand.

 

She moved it to cover his hand, the one on her face, then guided his hand down to her chest.

 

Finn lost his god damn mind. Was she giving him permission to touch her there? As if reading his thoughts, she nodded.

 

OK, thought Finn. OK. Here we go.

 

He went slowly, getting a feel for what was there. The outline of a bralette, possibly different than the one he had seen. Her chest, rising slightly. Two stiff peaks.

 

Finn already knew Rey wasn’t very busty - he had seen her chest before (in a bra), most notably with her shirt off. It truly did not matter to him - he was already taken by her confidence, her sweet smile, the slow but steady way she had opened up to him and trusted him with her secrets.

 

He felt around more, circling her nipples with his fingers, still kissing her as gently and passionately as before.

 

It had been like six weeks since they met and Finn was ready to marry her. 

 

This realization struck him like a mack truck, and he rolled off, one hand under her head and his other hand on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat.

 

Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that they could make out each other’s faces a little bit.

 

“Well damn, Finn,” Rey said. “Who taught you that?”

 

“I- no one, really,” said Finn, slightly flustered.

 

“I’m just teasing you Finn. I don’t need to know who you’ve been with.”

 

Finn felt compelled to tell her anyway. “I haven’t been with anyone Rey. Not in the way you’re thinking.”

 

She sat up. “What does that mean?”

 

“I-” Finn started, then faltered. “Rey. I’m a virgin.”

 

There was a second of pause, and then Rey started to laugh. “Oh Finn,” she said between giggles. “I don’t care about that.”

 

“You don’t? I just thought you would be turned off by it, because you’re more experienced…”

 

The laughing immediately stopped.

 

“Why would you think that?” she asked quietly.

 

Finn was unsure what to say. “I don’t know, you just seem like…”

 

“It’s because I’m a stripper, isn’t it.”

 

“No, Rey, it’s not-”

 

She hung her head low, and Finn thought she might be crying. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, and she pushed it off.

 

Finn knew he messed up. Real big. His heart sank to Titanic depths.

 

“Rey. Baby-”

 

“Don’t call me that.” She turned her body away from him.

 

“OK. I’m sorry, Rey.”

 

She layed down on the bed, head on the pillow, back to him.

 

“Rey. It wasn’t because you’re a stripper, or anything to do with your job. I promise you.”

 

Rey turned her head back towards him slightly. “Then what was it?”

 

Finn layed down too, his body facing hers. “I just - honestly, Rey, I assume everyone our age has had sex. I thought I was the only one who hadn’t, and that was really wrong of me. I projected my insecurities onto you. I never should have done that.”

 

“No, you shouldn’t have,” she said. But she rolled over to face him anyway, and a tiny spark of hope flared inside him.

 

“Rey, I-” Finn started, but Rey cut him off.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

“Of course,” Finn told her.

 

In a tiny voice she said, “Did you - are you- did you think that I would be easy? Because of my job? Is that why we’ve been hanging out?”

 

Finn was shaken. Did she really think that about him? Was there be any way he could convince her that wasn't him? Finally, he decided to just speak his truth.

 

“Rey. I hang out with you because - because you’re tough, and intelligent, and beautiful, and you make me feel more than any person ever has. Because you shine so brightly that the other stars have all gone out. Because you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”

 

Rey was crying again.

 

“Peanut,” Finn said. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that - I crossed a line, and-”

 

“Finn,” she said tearfully. “Is that for real?”

 

“That’s my truth,” Finn said honestly.

 

She threw herself forward, into his lap, her arms around his neck. “Oh Finn,” she said quietly.

 

They sat like that for a long time, Finn rocking Rey in his arms gently. At last he kissed her on the forehead.

 

“We have to get a little sleep,” he told her. “You still have work tomorrow.”

 

They both crawled back under the blanket, and Finn pulled Rey in close to his chest. They lay, feeling each other’s heartbeats, counting the freckles on one another’s soul.

 

Soon Rey’s breathing had evened out, and her grip on him loosened a little bit. Finn relaxed.

 

It hadn’t escaped his notice that after he had confessed how he saw her, she hadn’t really said anything. Or told him that she was feeling similarly. Maybe she wasn’t.

 

With this thought in his mind and a heaviness in his heart, Finn slowly, finally drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	23. Rey

It didn’t escape Rey’s notice, in the morning, that Finn was tense in her arms. She had thought it was an OK night, overall - definitely emotional, but in the end not in a bad way. What could he be feeling that was making his body so tight?

 

A minute after she woke up, Finn did too. “I- oh, hi, peanut.”

 

Was it her imagination? Did he sound disappointed to be waking up beside her?

 

And of course, the big question, the one she had thought about all night.

 

Was he telling the truth when he told her how he felt? From what she knew of Finn, he might have been, but the words were just too good to be true. No one had ever said such beautiful things to her, except maybe-

 

No. She was not going to bring  _ him _ into this bed.

 

Finn sat up and looked over at her. The temperature in the room had noticeably cooled down since the night before. “Rey, I- about last night. I said things I wish I had never said, and I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I am so sorry.”

 

Rey’s heart started to fall, fall, fall from the top of a tall building.

 

“I’m sorry, Rey. Can we pretend it never happened?”

 

It hit the ground and shattered into thousands of sharp, tiny fragments.

 

“Of course,” she told him. “Anything you want.”

 

They didn’t really have anything to pack, so they got their shoes on and went out to the car.

 

It was a long, quiet drive back to the city.

 

He dropped her at her house. He didn’t walk her to the door. She went in by herself.

 

Rose was in the kitchen. “Rey! Girl where have you been!”

 

“Just with a friend. We stayed at the coast last night,” Rey explained. She noticed that while Rose was acting concerned, she had not texted Rey at all when Rey didn’t come home.

 

“Oh, I bet I know who this ‘friend’ is,” said Rose, raising her eyebrows at Rey.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rey said and left the kitchen for the solitude of her room.

 

For the first time, she considered finding a new apartment.

 

Rey laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Her chest hurt. Was it possible to die from heartbreak? She hadn’t realized she felt so much for Finn until he let her know that he didn’t feel that way at all.

 

After a long nap Rey got up and went about her routine getting ready for work. She left the house at 5:45 and clocked in for her shift.

 

Friday night started off slow, but Rey was on high alert. Sure enough, at exactly 9pm the men from Finn’s office came in.

 

He wasn’t with them.

 

She put on her usual show and practically ran back to the locker room when it was done. Anything to avoid Pete.

 

Of course, he found her anyway. One of her coworkers came back and told Rey there was a man out front asking for her. Her heart leapt and she hurried onto the floor only to be met by Pete’s leering gaze.

 

“Kira,” he sneered. “Thought I told you to stop sniffing around my man Finn.”

 

She kept her cool. “Was there something I could help you with tonight, sir?”

 

“Don’t play dumb with me. I see the way he sits at his desk all day and daydreams about you. You need to tell him that whatever is going on between the two of you is over. Immediately. Do I make myself clear?”

 

Crystal, Rey thought sourly. At least there was nothing left to end with Finn. He had done that pretty thoroughly that morning.

 

“Good. Now get over there. I want you to dance for the new intern.”

 

Rey put on her usual show for the terrified looking young man. He tipped $200 with shaking, sweaty hands. Rey felt empty inside.

 

As the dance ended, she looked toward the door that had just opened. Finn stood behind it. They locked eyes for one brief second, and then he turned around and was gone.

 

Rey booked it to the back and went out the side door.

 

“Finn!” she called, her voice echoing across the chilled parking lot. He stopped, but didn’t turn around.

 

“Was any of it real?” she asked him.

 

He took another step away, then hesitated and turned around, heading straight for Rey. As he got closer, she examined his face and posture. She had never seen him like this - colder than the night they stood in.

 

“I see you’ve moved on to the newest person that started at the office. Is that what you do? Prey on young lawyers until you’ve had your fun, then move to the next one?”

 

Rey felt like crying right there. _ You can’t, _ she told herself.  _ Not in front of him. _

 

Instead she let the anger fill her inside. “I could say the same about you,” she spat. “Do you just look for girls who you think you can fix, who you think aren’t as good as you? Do you tell them everything they’ve ever wanted to hear, then tell them you didn’t mean it and disappear until you find a new one?”

 

Finn’s mouth twisted, and for a second she was sure he was about to call her a slut.

 

“Leave me alone, Finn,” Rey told him, then turned and went back into the club.

 

She finished out the night with a lackluster performance, barely earning any tips. She got in her car and drove home, and took off her makeup and got into bed.

 

He hadn’t answered her question, she realized.  _ Was _ any of it real? He sure put on a damn convincing show.

 

Sunday - which she had expected she was going to spend with Finn - dawned cold and unfeeling. Rey ran in a windbreaker and leggings, and when she got back home she collapsed on her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	24. Finn

A week had gone by since he had fought with Rey, and not a single day had passed where Finn didn’t think about her.

 

What had gone wrong? What had he said - or done - that had led to a screaming match in a parking lot?

 

For guidance on the matter Finn went to Poe. In their living room on Saturday night, Finn retold the whole story, from their adventure to the last time he had seen Rey.

 

“So you both said some things,” Poe said around a mouthful of Thai takeout, “that you didn’t mean.”

 

“No,” Finn corrected. “I’m pretty sure she meant everything she said.”

 

“Then the question remains. Why did you say what you said?”

 

Finn chewed his food, unsure. Why  _ had _ he said that thing about the intern? He knew Rey was obviously just doing her job. If anything, he should have been there to deflect Pete from her.

 

But it was more than that. It was the way he woke up next to her at the motel and felt like he had been sleeping with a stranger.

 

_ She is a stranger, _ his inner voice argued.  _ We barely know her, or what her intentions are _ .

 

That didn’t feel right, though. Rey wasn’t just some girl he had met and hung out with a few times. No, Finn was pretty sure that Rey was the other half of his soul.

 

“You have to tell her that,” Poe implored, and Finn realized he had been thinking out loud. “It sounds like she’s been hurt before. You need to show her that you only want to treat her like the goddess she is, and that your feelings are real, and not going anywhere.”

 

When Poe said it like that it seemed so simple. Staring at his phone in his hand after Poe went to bed, however, it became that much more daunting.

 

Finally he decided to put himself out of his misery and figure out whether she still wanted to have anything to do with him - anything, even friendship or acquaintances, he’d take it just to have Rey in his life. He tapped out a text.

 

10:48pm

_ Can we talk _

 

Her reply was almost instant.

_ About what _

 

He took a deep breath, here we go. 

 

_ About what we said... about what *I* said. _

 

A minute went by, and then-

 

_ Im listening _

 

_ Its- Rey, can I come over? _

 

_ Finn Im at work. _

 

_ Can I come by _

 

Another minute - Finn barely breathed - and then-

 

_ OK _

 

He didn’t waste another second - Finn jumped in the car and drove as fast as he safely could over to the club. In the parking lot, he was sprinting over to the door when he heard his name.

 

“Finn,” Rey called quietly to him.

 

He changed course and went to meet her by the bench.

 

“Hi,” he said, when he was almost close enough to touch her. Close enough to see her eyes, huge and glassy.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

“Rey, there’s so much I have to tell you. I’m-”

 

Just then, the side door opened and a woman in a glitter bikini poked her head out. “You’re on, Rey.”

 

Rey exchanged a long look with Finn. “I have to go,” she told him. “Will you stay?”

 

“Forever,” Finn said. “Rey, I’m not-”

 

“I just meant til the club closes,” Rey cut in.

 

Finn nodded. “Of course.”

 

She went inside and he walked around to the main entrance. As he pushed open the door, the opening riff of  _ Despacito _ began to play.

 

He had seen Rey dance half a dozen times before, but never like this. There was an undeniable passion in her movements tonight. He wasn’t the only one who noticed.

 

After her song ended Rey had to give two private dances. Finn didn’t dare buy one.

 

If she ever forgave him - if they ever got out of this mess - maybe some day she would dance only for him. Right now though, they had a lot to work through.

 

2am rolled around and Finn suddenly noticed he was the last customer in the club. The promoter came up to him. “You gotta leave, man.”

 

Finn opened his mouth to say - well, he didn’t know what, but Rey intervened. “He’s with me,” she called from the table she was cleaning across the room.

 

“Whatever,” the promoter said, and Finn waited quietly on a bench by the door while Rey finished her work and grabbed her bag and came out to meet him.

 

“Hi,” she said. “Can we go to your place?”

 

This was a good sign, right? Maybe she just wanted to sever all ties with him on his territory so she could leave after it was done.

 

“I’ll follow you,” she told him.

 

He got in his car and tracked her headlights as she drove behind him all the way to his house. They both parked and got out and met up by the front door. Finn unlocked it, fumbling his keys, and pushed it open.

 

The house was dark and warm, and the door to Poe’s room was shut. BB-8 was curled up in her bed, eyes flashing in the low light as Finn and Rey passed her on the way back to his room.

 

He entered first and turned on a lamp, and she closed the door behind them. At last Finn couldn’t stand the tension between them any longer.

 

“If you want to tell me you don’t want to see me again, I’m OK.”

 

“Is that what you want?” she asked.

 

“Not at all,” Finn said honestly, and tears built up in his eyes. “Rey, being without you is like living without the sun. Or air, or - or french fries and gravy. I don’t know what to say, I messed up so bad. I never meant anything I said to you that night.”

 

Rey crossed arms. “So...why did you say it?”

 

“Fear,” Finn told her. “Fear that you hated me for my mistakes at the coast. And fear that someone like you - someone so incandescent, so literally perfect, would never be truly interested in me.”

 

Her eyes were closed, as if processing words that were difficult to hear. “Finn, I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

 

“Believe me,” he said seriously. “Please. Losing you in my life this past week has been the most gut-wrenching experience I’ve ever had.”

 

She was looking up at him, and there were tears in her eyes too. “I said things too Finn...that I didn’t mean. That I never should have said, because they’re not how I think. Can you forgive me?”

 

Finn rushed forward and gathered her in his arms, the tears now falling down his face. “Oh, Rey - baby - you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his back and he could hear her sniffling too.

 

They stood like that for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	25. Rey

Rey stood where she never had dreamed she would be again - cradled in Finn’s arms. The relief was almost too much to bear.

 

After what felt like an hour, Finn pulled back. He left his hands on her waist as he asked softly, “Do you want to stay the night?”

 

She nodded.

 

He went to the closet and pulled out a t-shirt and sweatpants and handed them to her, then turned around and went to change as well.

 

Boldly, Rey decided she would take off her bra and sleep only in the t-shirt he had given her and her underwear. Before he could see her, she climbed into his bed.

 

Finn had put on shorts and t-shirt. “Do you need anything else?”

 

“Just you,” she said.

 

He swallowed loudly, then pulled back the sheets to get into bed as well. When he saw her bare legs, he stopped.

 

“Rey, I- I’m not expecting anything tonight. Or ever. You know that right?”

 

“Yeah,” she said. “I know.” And she smiled.

 

He got into bed beside her and they both lay with their heads on the pillows facing each other.

 

“Can we- can we move past this?” Finn asked uncertainly.

 

Rey nodded her assent. “I’d like that,” she told him. “Do- would you want to spoon?”

 

She watched Finn’s eyes widen, and he agreed. She rolled over so they were both facing the same direction and wiggled back until her back was touching his front. He reached out and turned out the light, and Rey tangled their legs together.

 

He draped an arm around her middle, and they lay like that together for a long time. She snuggled in close to him and felt him breathing into her hair until she fell asleep.

 

Morning came too soon.

 

This was the part Rey was nervous about, since it had for some reason caused such tension the last time. She was up before Finn and for a while she laid there, enjoying the feel of him pressed against her body.

 

Not knowing what else to do when Finn still wasn't awake half an hour later, Rey wriggled out of his grasp and put on her clothes.

 

She wrote him a note and left it by his bed -  _ Call me _ .

 

Then she was off, out the door and into her car and driving home.

 

Less than 20 minutes after entering her room and flopping down on the bed, Finn texted.

 

9:07am

_ Hey - is everything ok _

 

_ Yeah _ , Rey responded.

 

_ U left _ , Finn said. It was hard to tell but she thought his tone seemed hurt.

 

_ I wasnt sure what to do finn i was scared the morning would be like last time _

_ Do u want to come over. _

 

His answer came back quickly. 

 

_ Let me shower and ill be there as soon as i can ok babe _

 

The waiting was excruciating. She played on her computer and looked through every app on her phone.  She had just picked up a magazine that she found lying around the house when there was a knock on the door.

 

Rey’s heart started to race. Her roommates were gone all day, and her and Finn had made up after their brief falling out. What was going to happen today?

 

“Hi,” she said breathlessly, opening the front door to let Finn in. “Come on.”

 

He followed her down the hall and into her room, where she shut the door behind them.

 

“Hi,” he said, looking down at her and taking off his shoes. “Is this OK?”

 

Rey nodded. They both sat on the bed, and Rey offered Finn something to drink.

 

“No thank you,” he said with an intense look on his face that she thought meant there was something else he wanted.

 

“Can I get you anything else? Is there anything you want?”

 

Eyes never leaving hers, he nodded slowly.

 

Rey felt herself flush. She knew she was ready to go a little further with Finn. She just wasn’t sure if her heart could take it if it ended up like it did last time.

 

“If you don’t want to…” he started, but she quickly cut him off.

 

“No. I definitely want to..just promise me? That it won’t create distance between us this time?”

 

Finn smiled. “From this point on, we’re only getting closer.”

 

So they both turned their heads, lips meeting in the middle. Rey brought her hands up to his shoulders (very strong, she noted) and he placed his gently on her waist.

 

They kissed for a while, bodies slowly shifting on the bed until they were touching each other. Rey decided to make a bold move and swung one of her legs over his, so her legs were bookending his hips.

 

He groaned a little, and she pulled back. “Do you want me to move?”

 

“Never,” said Finn, and pulled her back down for another kiss.

 

They continued on for a bit, then Rey decided to get brave again. She moved her head away for a moment and pulled her shirt off over her head.

 

Finn’s eyes bugged out, and she smiled a little. If he reacted like this to seeing her in a bra - which he had seen a number of times already - she couldn’t wait to see his face when she showed him more.

 

“You can touch me, you know,” she told him and carefully he placed his hands on her again, this time higher up.

 

As they kissed again, Finn started to move his thumbs in small circles right under where her bra started. This was good - really good - but Rey wanted a little more. She moved his hand right over her chest, to the edge of where her bra cups started. He ran his fingers along the edge of her bra, making her shiver.

 

Not willing to be outdone, Rey rocked her hips just the slightest bit.

 

The effect was instantaneous. Finn wrapped his arms around her back, holding her close, and layed his forehead just below her throat. Rey kept going with her movement.

 

“God,” Finn whispered. “Rey, I-”

 

He cut off his sentence as Rey whispered into his ear, “You can unhook it if you want.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	26. Finn

Though he was trying to keep calm, internally Finn was yelling. Was this really happening?

 

He slid his hands down her smooth, soft back to where her bra was clasped. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he undid the hooks. Finn retreated his hands and let the garment fall away.

 

It was definitely a quality over quantity situation. She was maybe a B-cup but her breasts were the most beautiful he had ever seen. (Also the only ones he had ever seen, at least in person.) Honestly, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

 

“Rey, you’re a goddess,” he breathed into her skin, and he felt her shiver against him. His hands were drawn to her back again, running it up and down, unimpeded by straps. He buried his face in the place where her shoulder met her neck. She smelled like vanilla. Finn felt himself getting light headed.

 

He pulled away for a minute. “Do you- should I take my shirt off too?”

 

Rey bit her lip and nodded. She climbed off his lap and repositioned herself at the top of the bed, reclining on her pillows.

 

She looked like a whole pot of macaroni and cheese, just lying there casually with her full lips and dark eyes that focused on him. As quickly as he could, Finn pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. 

 

The expression on her face beckoned him over, but Finn still wanted to be sure. “Is this OK?” he asked, and Rey’s expression softened.

 

“Yeah Finn, it really is.”

 

He crawled onto the bed and lay down next to her, gathering her in his arms. Her bare skin felt absolutely amazing, mind-blowing against his, and they were kissing again. 

 

After what felt like five minutes, but might have been an hour, they broke apart, foreheads resting against one another’s and breathing heavily.

 

Rey said, “That was really nice.”

 

Finn nodded in agreement. It was all he could do to stop from proposing to her on the spot, because he wanted her like this every day for the rest of their lives.

 

The room was a little chilly, and Finn noticed goosebumps rising on Rey’s skin. “Do you want to get under the blanket?” he asked.

 

“Mmhmm,” Rey murmured, and they climbed under the blankets, snuggling in close to each other. Rey grabbed his hand and intertwined it with hers.

 

She was truly such a vision, her tan skin flushed pink and her pupils wide. “Do you want to rest a little?” she asked.

 

“That sounds good. Do you want to be the little spoon?”

 

Rey nodded her assent and flipped over so he could line his front up to her back. Finn felt like there was something he wanted to say, but before he could think of it, they were both asleep.

 

When he awoke, Finn’s first thought was that Rey was still in his arms. That alone felt like a blessing he was wholly grateful for. A moment later he felt her stir, then turn to face him.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

Finn smiled. “Hi peanut.”

 

“Are you hungry? We could make sandwiches,” Rey suggested.

 

“That sounds perfect.”

 

They both got dressed and headed to the kitchen, touching each other and laughing the whole way. Rey opened the fridge and pulled out bread, and cheese, and some vegetables. Finn stood pressed up against her back with his hands on her waist looking over her shoulder while she assembled the snack.

 

“So... that was a thing,” Rey said when they were both sitting down and starting to eat.

 

“It was,” Finn agreed. “Is it...something you maybe would want to happen again?”

 

Rey looked at him contemplatively. “Yeah, I definitely think it is.”

 

Finn’s smile grew across his face, and he looked down at his sandwich to keep from blushing. They ate a little longer, stealing glances at each other’s faces, and when they were done Rey put the plates in the sink.

 

“I should probably go,” Finn said reluctantly. “I have to go to work in the morning.”

 

She nodded, then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “See you soon?”

 

“For sure,” said Finn.

 

The next day at the office Finn was on cloud nine - nothing could break him down. Well maybe, that is, until Pete came by his desk.

 

“Good morning, Pete,” Finn said warily. “How was your weekend?”

 

“Not as good as yours, I bet,” Pete said in his slimy way.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Finn asked.

 

Pete crossed his arms, and his mouth became a tight line. “I know you’re still seeing her,” he said. “Don’t play dumb with me. But I’ll make sure it won’t be much longer for you and that s-”

 

“Don’t,” said Finn coldly. “Don’t start something we’ll both regret.”

 

Pete narrowed his eyes. “Fine. Just remember, she’s not good enough for you Finn.”

 

Finn’s whole body felt tight, and icy inside.  _ How fucking dare he- _

 

Pete noticed his reaction and laughed. “Later, kid,” he said, walking away.

 

Finn wanted to say something - to someone, he didn’t even know who - but the realization that he was trapped spread through him like thick pancake batter. If he complained that Pete was harassing him, Pete might get fired, but he’d probably stalk Rey and maybe even hurt her. If he started a confrontation with Pete directly, there could be serious, even police action. If he told Rey, she might feel like she had to quit her job.

 

Angry and frustrated, Finn left work for that day and went straight home. He went inside and kicked off his shoes, and sat down to check his phone.

 

4:37pm

_ Hey peanut _

_ Im about to start getting ready for work jst wanted to say hi _

_ N Im thinking about u _

 

Finn felt like crying. She was so sweet and pure - there was no way he could let Pete get anywhere near her.

 

_ Hey babe _ , he texted back.  _ I hope ur night goes ok. _

 

She didn’t text back, but judging by the time, Finn thought she was probably already on her way to work.

 

Just then Poe walked through the front door. “Well well, if it isn’t the elusive Finn. Where you been man?”

 

“Around,” Finn said evasively, then sighed. “With Rey.”

 

“Ayyyy,” Poe did finger guns. “That’s a good thing, right?”

 

Finn smiled. “Yeah, it really is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	27. Rey

Rey walked around feeling light, and airy, and energetic - nothing could break her down. Things were good with Finn again and that was better than any high.

 

She went to work Monday night in a positive mood. Her dancing was on point, and the customers were tipping well. Everything was perfect until she was walking out to her car at the end of the night.

 

Pete was lurking in the shadows.

 

“Slut,” he snarled. “I’ve told you enough times now, and you didn’t listen. Well, hopefully this will get through to you.” And he backhanded Rey across the face.

 

She crumpled to the ground, shocked as much by the pain as by the fact that he had hit her. He walked away, laughing, leaving Rey alone.

 

Her drive home was long, and tears obscured her vision for much of the way. Pete had hit her. Really hit her. She had thought he was just talking shit, getting his kicks from ruffling feathers. But now she knew the truth - he was a straight up psychopath.

 

She went into work the next day feeling demoralized and small. The manager took one look at her and sent her home until the bruise on her face was completely gone. It was only about 5:45pm, so Rey decided she would stop by and see Finn.

 

His house wasn’t too far away - she parked her car on the street and went up and knocked the door. Poe answered.

 

“Well, if it isn’t young Rey! How have you-” he trailed off as he took in the full effect of her face. “I’ll go get Finn,” he said quietly and disappeared into the house.

 

Finn came out a second later, and Rey could tell Poe had warned him about her bruises. “Hey, peanut,” he said gently. “Come on in.” She followed him into the house and back into his room, where he closed the door. They both sat on the bed.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Finn asked.

 

“Pete,” Rey told him, and watched as his face shifted into sadness.

 

“Rey,” Finn said. “Do you want to press charges?”

 

She shook her head. “It’ll be his word against mine. And anyway, I never want to have to see him again.”

 

“Of course not, baby” Finn soothed. “I’ll make sure of it.”

 

“The worst part is,” Rey continued, “I can’t work for at least a week until this looks a little better.”

 

“Don’t worry a thing about that, Rey,” he said. “I got your back.”

 

They moved up the bed so they were both lying next to each other, heads on the pillows, facing one another. Simultaneously they both leaned forward for a kiss.

 

Instantly, pain exploded across her face. She hadn’t really touched it since it happened, and had no idea the spot was so tender. She pulled back sharply.

 

“I’m so sorry,” said Finn. “I shouldn’t have-”

 

“No, I wanted to,” Rey interjected. “My face just hurts.”

 

Finn grinned. “I bet,” he said playfully. “Since it’s killing me.”

 

At this she groaned and punched his bicep lightly. Damn, that was solid.

 

They lay side by side and talked for a while longer. Finn told her he would be out of town for the next two days at a training, and they made plans to hang out when Finn got out of work Friday. Rey went home that night feeling a spark of hope.

 

She laid low for the next couple days - she didn’t go on her run or outside at all, instead choosing to watch movies or go on the computer and eat whatever she could find in the fridge. She was like a ghost in her own house - avoiding Rose and Jess so they couldn’t ask her what had happened to her face.

 

All day Friday Rey buzzed with excitement. She had texted very briefly with FInn the previous night, but he was tired from his training and couldn’t talk long. The day seemed to go by  _ so _ slowly until finally it was after five and the time she could drive over to his house. She put on leggings and a sweatshirt and her sneakers and went across town.

 

She knocked on the door when she arrived and heard someone call “Come in” from within. Rey pushed open the door to find Poe sitting crosslegged on the couch, eating cheetos from the bag with a pair of chopsticks. She giggled. “What are you doing?”

 

“The better question, young Rey,” he said, “is why you still feel like you need to knock. You should just come in next time, OK?”

 

“I- OK,” Rey agreed. “Is Finn in his room?”

 

“He is indeed.”

 

“OK. Talk to you later, Poe.”

 

She walked to the back of the house where Finn’s room was. His door was closed, and after Poe’s directions, she wondered if she should knock. Finally she decided to just go in.

 

Finn was in his closet, changing out of his work clothes. He was wearing an unbuttoned shirt, tie pooled on the floor, and nice slacks. When he heard his door open, he turned around.

 

“Rey! I- hi. I wasn’t expecting you yet.”

 

She barely heard a word he said, looking instead at his chest visible through his opened buttons and his pants undone at the waist.

 

“Rey,” he said again, this time laughing a little. She looked up at his face to see humor and embarrassment written across it. He was scratching at the back of his neck, which Rey had come to understand as his nervous gesture.

 

From what she could see though he definitely didn’t have anything to be shy about.

 

“My face is healed enough to kiss,” she said, trying to change the subject. “I mean. If you wanted to.”

 

“That sounds...really good,” Finn said. “Let me just finish changing-”

 

“You can just stay like that, if you’d prefer,” Rey said boldly. Her heart was starting to race in anticipation and excitement.

 

They both climbed onto the bed and met in the middle, kneeling. The tension of not being able to touch like this all week had built up into a long, passionate kiss that both were reluctant to break.

 

Finally Rey pulled back to breath. She looked at Finn and saw his chest heaving, and reached forward to push his button up shirt off his shoulders and off his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	28. Finn

Finn knelt nervously in the middle of the bed. He had seen Rey without her shirt on a few times now but she had never seen him without his. He wondered what she was thinking.

 

Judging by her reaction, it had to have been positive. She surged forward to claim his lips again, this time moving her hands across his chest and back and stomach. Her touch was quick and feather light, and felt ridiculously amazing.

 

Rey pulled off her sweatshirt, revealing a thin, ivory tank top that she was, by the look of things, wearing without a bra underneath. His heart skipped a beat. Then they were kissing again.

 

Cautiously, he placed his hand on her side-boob, more under her arm than anywhere else. This was met with such enthusiasm that slowly, he moved his hand until it was covering her breast. 

 

Finn was basically hyperventilating. She was obviously into it...right? Her hands continued to move across his body, inching lower and lower.

 

Pulling back for a moment, Finn took a second to breathe and suggest a change of position. “Could we lay down?”

 

Rey nodded. Finn laid down on his back and waited for her to lay by his side. 

 

Instead, she climbed up him and settled with one leg on either side of his body and their pelvises touching.

 

“Rey, are you sure? I-”

 

“Do you not want me to? I won’t, if you don’t want to.”

 

“No! No. I want to, just...you’ll be able to feel me, sitting like that.”

 

She winked. “I know.”

 

Boy, was she the hottest thing alive. She reached over him and entwined their fingers, then pushed his hands down to the bed. Then she bent over him and kissed him again.

 

Finn knew she had to be feeling him under her now. He was fully hard and wildly into everything that was going on. The kiss continued for several more minutes until Rey climbed off his lap.

 

“Is everything OK? Are you still feeling good about doing this?” Finn asked.

 

Rey nodded. “Take your pants off,” she told him.

 

Good fucking god.

 

He pulled off his work slacks and tossed them to the floor beside his bed.

 

“Sit up,” she ordered, and Finn scrambled into an upright position with his back against his wall and his legs straight out on his bed.

 

She moved towards him, then hesitated. “Finn, do you - can I give you a dance?”

 

That sounded just about perfect. He nodded, eyes wide.

 

Rey began by turning around and sitting in his lap. She started to move her hips and wiggle her ass a little, turning around periodically to give Finn a smoldering look.

 

His hands came up instinctively to frame her hips, but waited to touch her. “Go ahead,” she told him. “Touch me.”

 

Finn rested his hands on either side of her body, feeling her move, feeling like the luckiest man who had ever lived. It didn’t bother him that she had done this before for countless other guys. All that mattered was her and him and here and now.

 

Just when he was starting to get close, Rey got up from his lap.

 

“Is-”

 

“Everything is OK, Finn,” she smiled.

 

Then, while facing him, she straddled his lap and began to move again.

 

This was even better than before, if that was possible. Her hands were on his shoulders and his were on her waist as she twisted her hips in circle after circle. Finn admired the thigh strength it took for her to hover above him in this position for so long, and he told her so.

 

“Rey,” he breathed, between kisses, “your thighs - are amazing,” he managed.

 

This broke the spell. Rey stopped moving and sat down fully in his lap and started laughing.

 

“What?” Finn asked.

 

“It’s just,” she explained, “You’re so cute. Here I am shaking my ass for you, grinding myself all over you and you notice my thighs?”

 

“And the rest of you,” Finn said defensively. “I appreciate all of you.”

 

She turned serious. “You don’t even know how amazing you are, Finn,” she said softly.

 

With her sitting in his lap, they kissed for a while longer. Neither had to work tomorrow, and neither were worried about the time or anything else in the world.

 

The room had long since grown dark by the time Finn and Rey separated. Her hair was tangled from him running his fingers through it, and there were kiss marks down her throat.

 

_ I did that _ , he thought, absurdly proud.  _ I marked her as mine. _

 

Whoa. Where did that come from? Rey was in no way his. That, however, didn’t stop Finn from wishing that she was - all his, forever.

 

Rey was watching him with large liquid eyes gleaming in the half-light. Her rose petal lips were turned up in a smile.

 

“That was nice,” she said to Finn, running a finger down his chest and stomach and making him shiver. “Do you- would you want to lay down for a while?”

 

“Yeah,” Finn said. “Just give me a minute, OK?” He didn’t want to lay down and be poking her back as they possibly spooned. He breathed deeply, trying to lower his blood pressure a little bit.

 

“I’m taking off my pants,” Rey announced, and any progress Finn had made in calming down was ruined. She shimmied her leggings down her thighs, over her knees and calves and pulled them off her feet. Her legs were impossibly long and smooth and fit.  _ At least _ , Finn thought,  _ I can’t see her panties. _

 

Then she yawned and stretched, reaching high in the air and pulling her tank top up with her. Finn tried not to look, he really did. But her panties were light pink with a little bow at the top, like her private area was a gift to be unwrapped.

 

He hoped he could be the one to unwrap it someday.

 

Finn stripped off his pants too until he was just in his shorts, and they climbed into his bed. Rey backed her back to his front, and he draped an arm over her side, holding her close. Sleep was on its way, but there was one thing he needed to know first.

 

“Rey,” Finn said sleepily. “Will you still be here in the morning?”

 

She made a noise between a breath and a snort. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll be here.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


	29. Rey

In the morning, Rey woke up in Finn’s bed. For a second she was confused about where she was, but she saw Finn’s arm around her and the walls of his room and her body relaxed. She was safe.

 

A minute later Finn stirred. She turned around in his arms to meet him, and placed her arms around his neck.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

“Good morning,” Finn smiled.

 

“You don’t have any plans for today, do you?” Rey asked.

 

Finn shook his head. “Do you?”

 

“No,” said Rey. “Actually, I was just hoping we could stay in bed for a while.”

 

“That actually sounds perfect.”

 

So they laid and talked, about their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their roommates, and their jobs, and the city they lived in.

 

Finn asked her again about her dream that she had admitted before. “Have you started applying to tech schools yet?” he asked hopefully.

 

“Well...no, not yet,” Rey said. “I haven’t really been thinking about it right now.”

 

“Is it something you’re still interested in?”

 

“Definitely. I just - don’t really know where to begin.”

 

So Finn got out his computer and they researched options for learning to be a mechanic. Their city had a well-known tech school, and Rey decided she might to try that.

 

They filled out a preliminary application together on the website, stating that Rey was interested and would like to talk with someone for more information. She pressed send with sweaty palms. Why did such a small step make her feel so nervous?

 

Finn put the computer on the ground next to the bed and rubbed Rey’s back, soothing her a little bit. “It’s going to be OK,” he said. “You didn’t sign any contracts. We’re just going to learn more about your options, alright?”

 

That did make her feel better. And Finn’s hand on her back felt...well, even better than that. She turned to face him and suggested to him, a little shyly, “Do you want to make out?”

 

Finn’s eyes widened, and he nodded very quickly. Rey threw a leg over his lap to straddle him, her hands roaming his shirtless body. She was very acutely aware of the fact that she was only in her underwear and tank top and him in his briefs.

 

His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, like she was something precious he couldn’t let go of. That was a good feeling too.

 

With slow, careful movements Finn trailed his lips from hers to kiss her cheek, and then behind her ear. As he moved down her throat, she unintentionally let out a small moan.

 

Instantly she could feel Finn hard underneath her, and she grabbed the sides of his head to guide him down further, to her chest.

 

His mouth moved over her breasts covered by her thin tank top, tongue flicking the stiff points. Rey looked down at him. “Finn,” she whispered. “Take it off.”

 

He looked up at her like he hadn’t heard right. “Are you sure?”

 

She nodded fiercely. “Do it.”

 

Rey hadn’t worn a bra or anything under her tank top. Had she been anticipating this? Maybe, if she was honest with herself. Wanting it, at least. Finn’s expression at seeing her bare chest - even for a second time - set her insides feeling all fluttery. Definitely in a good way.

 

“You can touch them, you know,” she whispered and instantly his mouth was back on her. His tongue moved sensuously over her breasts, like he was telling a story, and Rey couldn’t help it when she rocked her hips a little bit. Finn froze.

 

“Finn, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” she back tracked.

 

He shook his head. “No, baby, it’s OK. I just wasn’t expecting it, alright?”

 

“OK,” Rey said. She wondered, though - what would it take to make Finn lose control and give in to his urges with her, the way she did with him? Did he maybe not feel as strongly as she did?

 

She took a deep breath. Looks like it was time to DTR - define the relationship.

 

“Finn,” she began. “What-” And then she stopped. What are we doing? What is this? Neither seemed right.

 

“What are we?” she finally asked.

 

Finn pulled back a tiny bit and licked his lips. “Right now? Well, Rey -”

 

She shook her head. “It doesn’t have to be anything if you don’t want it to be. Totally cool. Just - I want to know, OK?”

 

He took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to drive you away, it’s just-”

 

Rey’s heart sank. She hadn’t even realized she wanted something until he took the option off the table. He obviously noticed her expression.

 

“Rey? Rey. Listen to me. I’m not trying to scare you or anything, but...I’m kinda in this for the long run, OK?”

 

Her head whipped up. “What?”

 

“I don’t know what you want out of this peanut, but whatever it is, I’m down. I want to be in your life for a long time,” Finn said earnestly.

 

Rey grinned. “How does forever sound?” She was partly kidding, and a little bit serious.

 

Finn gave her the widest, most beatific smile in return. Damn, he was gorgeous. Rey studied him - was he glowing a little?

 

Shyly, she asked, “So where did we leave off?”

 

With a mischevious grin, Finn dipped his head back to her breast. Shit. That felt….really good.

 

Rey ran her nails across Finn’s scalp, causing him to shudder and groan a little. She kept his head down by her breasts as he enthusiastically worshipped her.

 

“Rey - god, baby you taste so damn good. I bet-” And then he stopped. She looked down at him to see that his face was getting red.

 

“What?” she asked.

 

“I - Rey, I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”

 

“Believe me, you are not pressuring me at all.”

 

“Can - can I go down on you?”

 

Full stop. Rey’s heart stuttered back to life as she felt herself slowly nod.

 

She laid back with her head on the pillows and let Finn gently, ever so delicately remove her underwear. He looked up at her reverently, as if she were a goddess, as if he was still asking permission.

 

“Please,” Rey said, and his mouth descended on her.

 

The second his tongue hit her outer walls Rey was overcome by intense pleasure. She could hear herself moaning, whispering Finn’s name, speaking to God or anyone who would listen.

 

She heard Finn moaning a little too. Well.  _ That _ was amazing. As the pressure built between her legs Rey gripped the sides of Finn’s head, feeling her nails digging into his scalp and not doing anything about it. God, this was like….pure ecstasy.

 

FInally Rey couldn’t hold back anymore. He was just too damn good at this and it had been so long and she suddenly felt herself come, so hard her vision whited out as she screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Images for the story at: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpackof1/pssom-moodboard


End file.
